The Reluctant Hero
by SocialistBukharin
Summary: Remnant sounds like a fun place, right? Well, it isn't! This lowly Author woke up in quite the ugly predicament, one that I am experienced about... theoretically. No survival training, but an undying determination to not die here, I am ready to venture in this world of scary monsters, secret wars and incredibly confusing twists! True-ish Self-Insert and no pairing for me!
1. Road to NOT end the world!

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

_The wonderful aspect of a reluctant hero is that he or she doesn't have to adhere to any stereotype, such as being incredibly strong or a trained kung-fu master. These can be average guys off the street; indeed, it's often their simple, homespun down-to-earth thinking that saves the day. This ordinariness is an important factor in allowing the audience to understand and bond with the hero._

**\- Quote from The Art of Game Characters, by Leo Artas.**

* * *

**Prologue: Memento Auctoris**

* * *

_I need to ask out of morbid curiosity and intrigue:_

_Do you know about those stories where people get sent to other worlds; these places that you think are fiction and well-contained within ink, bytes or even spoken words but eventually turns out that those are actually true, just for the sake of some cosmic mission 'only you' can deal with? _

_That is something that always hits people with a sense of reluctant interest but genuine crave: escapism in its sweetest form, the kind of drug that no matter how addictive it is, you have to make use of it for the sake of having some peace in life.._

_But sometimes escapism isn't as good as we hope, the bleach we ingest the moment we realize that reality will still find a way to make us all miserable is there to keep us from floating too far from the land and right into the scorching sun._

_Sometimes the very journey is what makes us feel the worst as we could be detained from our world, kidnapped merely on the whim of some lazy deity with no compassion._

_Just give empty words of encouragement, sprinkle in some super-power, and the meat-puppets start to dance like demented madmen._

_Am I making sense with these words?_

_Obviously no one cares about the protagonist, they care about the actions they take, the words that are provided to make them realistic to the naked eye and... I am incredibly tired._

_Sometimes no one wants the isekai, either because the genre turns stale once in a while or because people build up on some emotionless shield for this kind of stuff, dulled by the over-saturation of the stories of freedom and undeniable friendship. A need to preserve what is past, what was good and worth of cherish._

_Am I making sense with these words?_

_...Maybe I am. But in the moment of agony that follows the sense of crude realization, the dread that ever-consumes the sanity of someone that merely doesn't care... __**words stop making sense.**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Road to NOT end the world!**

* * *

That is why when I woke up in some shady alley in Mistral, Remnant (The world of RWBY for Pete's sake!), I was quite demoralized by what was going on.

I was quick to remember the things I left undone back home and the lack of a need to escape from the real world eventually caught up with the childish awe and wonder of being somewhere far from my daily troubles.

Imagine my discomfort when I learned I was now going to eventually die.

The kind of death that is not bestowed upon those who had their bodies destroyed, obliterated, or butchered by battles or anything even so closely mundane, but the one of the mind, of the ever-so-frail soul.

When I quickly noticed the whispering in my head, I recognized Ozpin questioning my current whereabouts.

I felt nauseated at the mere idea of what I was supposed to face if things were as dreadful as I thought them to be.

The Wizard lived, he survived cycles of life while the previous host's soul wouldn't because of some Godly curse.

When would it happen, when would the bitter and cruel toll come to pass?

I didn't know, I wasn't sure of it, but at least I found minor relief it wasn't an innocent fifteen years old Oscar Pine that was going to face the tribulations of this sickening predicament at hand.

The numbness create by the absurd situation vanished the very moment I felt the first drops of the rain starting to fall calmly around me, droplets reaching my skin and 'waking' me up from my quiet turmoil.

My body was getting cold as I was wearing light clothing and it was easy to get the chills already from just staying in that very place.

I also blamed my introverted lifestyle as I was used to some kind of warmth normal of living in a modest house but...

I was fine.

The three words that made the world go 'round.

We are all fine.

...

And I can't stop here.

I bet whoever left me in this predicament expects me to merrily go on the jolly path to Canon, to face the great threats placed by Salem along the way, maybe even clash with the two idiotic deities waiting by the end.

Or even let those Gods kill everyone by rekindling humanity's cycle once more.

When the discovery over what was by the end reached my ears, that the protagonists were hellbent to reunite the relics despite the underline threat composed by the divine beings so greedily waiting to return, I couldn't help but be disgusted by how hopeless a journey of that kind would be.

Yet, among the disappointment and the dread, I was so sure of a very little detail, something that many could see as a panicked thought or a terrible realization of the world.

But I will not commit a genocide.

I will not partake in any mass-murdering for the sake of someone being unable to face their ex-wife with normal procedures, because he failed to intervene when needed.

A spineless coward that used humanity by manipulating them all to rush and die in front of an enemy that could easily be contained.

**We don't need to kill her. Just… keep her from hurting anyone.**

That is why a new resolve started to build up as I walked out from the darkness of the alley where I woke up into, my mind set to walk away from Haven and out of Mistral.

I could feel something lashing furiously within my core, trying to_ push me out_ and steal the control over my body and... failing in this miser process.

I was surprised and… flattered that I could see something as horrifying as possession failing with me of all people.

I didn't need a centuries-old mastermind taking over the very things I had left to use in this world, my body and soul.

I was defenseless, no weapons nor anything that could be used to fend off against any of the threats lurking in this kingdom.

Grimm and bandits, of monsters and men.

Still I couldn't help but consider why Ozpin was failing against my resilience, maybe it was because Oscar and other previous hosts had been unaware of the Wizard's slow grip into their defenses, in an attempt to fully takeover their bodies one step at the time, but I was fully aware, conscious and quite opposed to it.

So when I felt him still trying to get a grip over my soul... I just shook him off.

It was abstract, it was like something pull at _myself_ but slowly being yanked away from conceiving more unnerving emotions with his effort.

While this might sound overly-simple and particularly little-described, I was surprised a bit myself over the easy process too as I certainly didn't expect to brush him off this easily.

His voice turned into a whisper, possibly because this first attempt may have been a drain on his already-limited reserves.

I smiled at the small victory and my mind sounding clearer than before as I finally walked out of the city, my eyes glancing at the small signpost few meters away from the path I was walking through.

I blinked, surprise lifting once more from my core.

**Oniyuri - 10km**

Oh joy, I was going to have quite the march in front of me considering that there was so much to do in that distinct section of the world.

From this point onward, I decided to tune out my usual negativity for the sake of survival, just to give myself an advantage of not getting stalked by any Grimm wandering the lands.

How did I manage this immense issue, considering how slightly nervous I felt over the sudden shift to Remnant?

When I start to sing calmly something that is as good as it is positive, my mind switches to a more cheerful mood and I wasn't certainly settling for something casual.

So, picking up the pace and smiling tentatively, I started to hum the marching song and then...

I was singing loudly while increasing my pace to a jogging one, completely whisking away my sense of self-preservation and my worries, just to have something to break the nerve-wracking development.

What a strange day to be alive.

* * *

After half an hour of exhausting my knowledge of marching songs into this little experience, I finally reached my destination.

Soon I found myself staring at a distant settlement in the horizon and I started to analyze the predicament before me.

If I had to be honest, Oniyuri wasn't certainly a place I was particularly acknowledged about, my limited info being that it was used as the battleground for the little skirmish of RNJR + Qrow versus Tyrian.

Maybe I should have picked the known trail of villages 'explored' by the series and risked an encounter with RNJR... then maybe get shafted because Ozpin would be able to do something with that situation.

The fear of getting caught, of being forced to follow through with their silly attempt against Salem, was unacceptable for my fervent sense of making things right by my own opinion.

No Gods. No Ozpin and no Salem.

I wanted things to be whole once more without any grand players ruining the immense potential that Remnant could achieve if left alone from external threats/helpers.

I wanted to make humanity survive the incoming storm and...

And I seriously wanted to destroy the silly mentality that those Dumbledore-lookalikes are the only ones capable of subverting the chess board to their advantage.

No more chess for y'all.

Play some fun checkers without using your tactics on real people.

I had avoided all contact with the inhabitants of the small city I woke up in and I was thankful that I spared the smallest of glances to memorize their features.

Just a reminder, I repeated within my mind as I continued to ignore the ranting of the manipulator within my skull, to remember that I was in the right, that I had a lone duty for those people.

No one above my head or station telling me what to do.

Just poor, little me and my idea of salvation.

Was I being egocentric? Just a little, but who isn't in this story?

Who is really the protagonist here? Ruby? Jaune? ZWEI?!

Actually, speaking of protagonist-related issues, it was genuinely unnerving how the path I had taken had been lacking any sort of... monstrous obstacles.

Maybe it was because I was walking in an open field, a place where ambushes were pretty much useless for simple-minded creatures like the Grimm or maybe...

Maybe Salem was playing her strategies like chess too, giving a bare freedom to her 'children'.

It would explain how and why only a few zones were considered dangerous and why those were places with a high number of hunters. Like Huntsmen Academies.

That would explain the Emerald Forest but... meh.

There was too little to truly say what was the cause of the quite uneventful trip and frankly-speaking, I loved being this lucky once in a while at the beginning of this journey without jinxing myself out of boredom.

Speaking of deserted places and desolate ruins, Oniyuri looked every bit like a real ghost town from Earth… if said ghost town was mostly modern to look at.

No Grimm, no humans and I hardly doubt there were any bandits hanging around for some looting of the supplies left around by the citizens here.

As I entered the place, I could feel the absurdity of my current predicament slam onto my brain once more as I was faced with such silence and lack of life.

I could try to raid this settlement and get something from the place, being that I was quite alone and far too weak compared to a large majority of battle-hardened criminals roaming Mistral and I wouldn't be incorrect to think of myself as 'irrelevant' in the current table of things.

I was quite sure that the only reason Salem knew about Ozzie's whereabouts was all because of her connection (and abuse) with Lionheart('s coward sense of self-preservation).

Without that element, my current situation was effectively unknown to the Witch and her clique, thus denying her the means to give me any issues for the time being.

The only bad thing was that I was effectively deprived of any means of communicating with people without having to deal with the chance getting noticed by her.

So I was pretty much stuck in forced isolation for the sake of survival for the time being.

**What a good way to die...**

Yet my overly-positive thoughts were instantly crushed the moment I reached a large, warehouse-like building and opened its tall doors.

The metal groaned, some of the debris were trying to stop its opening but it was already… done.

…

Oh… Oh my...

...

I walked inside and then close to one of the seemingly infinite crates filling the storage space of this place, blinking numbly at the words written on the visible tag: "7.62mm."

The following two minutes were spent looking left and right at the various tags visible by the wooden boxes.

There were Dust crystals, ammunition, some standard guns, several assault rifles and two snipers, and several crates with food, clothes and medical equipment.

**Did I just stumbled into heaven?**

I mean, I couldn't see any junkfood around but... I could live with the steaks preserved in simple plastic bags and some water bottles inside some of the open boxes.

Part of me questioned the possibility of ditching my mission to 'save the world' and just settle there until I had the resources to survive.

I could live off of what was here, even start some small plantation of tomatoes and apples with the more than enough seeds in the warehouse.

But then I would be too entrenched to escape a surprise assault from Salem, which would be a terrible idea whatsoever.

While the woman was currently unaware of my whereabouts, she was still capable of launching a full scouting operation with Nevermores and land-type Grimm to search the entirety of the world.

Considering that it was her ditching husband we were talking about, I could see her take some dangerous steps for the sake of finding where I was.

It was best for me to leave the place as fast as possible... but I would have to also ditch most of the delightful things there.

It was in that moment that I felt an annoying sparkle blinding me.

It was coming from the window reach my eyes and, just as I turned to see the cause of this unholy and unneeded light I found quite the novelty waiting outside the warehouse.

It was a truck, nothing particularly recognizable from one from back home but it had the big frame only a truck could have considering its cargo section.

Some bits looked to have rusted over the time spent there but it seemed to be still in working order.

Wasting no time in ogling this old beauty, I walked outside to check if it still had some fuel and-

Yep, it was ready to go.

The fuel tank was surprisingly full and it seemed that nothing from the long-time spent idle there had ruined the highly-flammable liquid.

Before trying to do anything else over the matter, I decided to give a quick look around the proximity of the building as the sudden suspicion that someone could still be around and could be waiting to ambush me.

An ugly theory born from my genuine Stalin-like paranoia.

I sighed in relief when my brief patrol found no one around, thus confirming that the area lacked any dangerous 'owners' living nearby.

The cool engine was further evidence that the vehicle had been unused for God(s) knows how much time.

My mood improved even more as I found the trailer empty and ready to be filled with what I needed to load it with for my little trip to escape Mistral.

Rolling up my sleeves, I went back inside the warehouse and started to push the first crate outside, huffing a little as the workout was something that I wasn't accustomed to.

My new plan was to get the heck away from that place with most of the crates in tow.

It took me around four hours of tiring moving to get every single wooden box inside the cargo, taking a few breaks along the way as my body was not prepared for the little labor it had to go through.

Lazy and introverted, what can I say other than this?

Taking a seat by the driver's seat, I started the vehicle by using the key already plugged in and I was delighted by sound of the engine showing life at the powering up.

A smile finally crept out of my depression-induced scowly mask as the engine didn't fuss too much over the renewed activity.

Actually, it started to purr eagerly at being awakened once more.

It would seem that today was my lucky day!

As I moved out the truck from the small alley beside the warehouse, I steered it towards the main road that led right to the southern entrance of the settlement, ready to properly start my bizarre trip across Mistral and into Vale.

I was seriously hoping that things would continue this smoothly, that I wouldn't find anyone in my path out of the 'danger zone' and right into a proper danger zone, thus instead of keeping silence, I tuned in the radio and was blasted with some… Atlesian dubstep music?!

Still, I was certainly delighted by the lack of unnerving quiet and...

_**But seriously, how should I have known that I had two intruders aboard at the time!?**_

* * *

**AN**

**This is important as it will underline the tones of this story. While Ozpin is lurking within my mind and I woke up in Mistral...the 'when' is NOT the one everyone thinks it is. Expect some early angst, an incredible show of camping skills and life-long path for a different story.**

**Still! The bets for who is hiding in the truck are on! Who will make the right guess?**

**Diary of a Straight Dude is going to be continued but... this story will serve to show something else. The reason that story was created was because of my inner need to explain the crappiness of a story with quick pairings, lacking explanations about their existence.**

**This one? This is going to be the real deal: crude and pretty!**

**Lastly, this protagonist is ME! Finally the author is thrown in the fray to deal with the madness of true SI. Reasons behind my attitude will be given along the way and.. I will not answer any question about it. It's already planned to be given in the form of chapter so... meh.**

**P.S. I admit there is somekind of inspiration from Coeur Al'aran 'Relic of the Future', but I am not copying from it. Quite the opposite if I have to be honest and... next chapter will shed some light around my mysterious tones. (I know, cliffhangers are bad and I hate leaving cliffhangers, but it will be a fun ride!) **


	2. Live and Let Live (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Every day above ground is a good day." _**– Tony Montana**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Live and Let Live (1)**

* * *

It's been several hours since I left Oniyuri and the muddy trail I was driving through was starting to get annoying-

*Bump*

I scowled as the truck found another hole in the ground, my nerves unwilling to let go of that forebonding sense of dread that was starting to be noticeably influencing my features.

The sky had started to darken up and the lack of a proper illumination along the path was adding up with my already rusty driving skills.

Sure, I knew how to properly drive old stuff with manual gearboxes but my capacity lied only on normal cars as I have never needed to use a truck in my life.

Uneasiness about possible major differences between the two kinds of vehicles slowly unraveled the moment I found no particular issue with my current disposition.

Now that I was driving straight lines and not trying to turn crazy corners I was fine, but I was starting to get annoyed the barely visible track.

The headlights gave me a limited glimpse of the road ahead but I was worried of ending up to attract Grimm with my ever-growing distress.

*Bump*

I scowled again, this time barely caring for the umpteenth hole trying to bruise the tires but thankfully failing to accomplish that. My attention moved to the small radio device built-in the truck.

It was curiosity that urged me to see what kind of programs were in Remnant and to see how the world was faring with Beacon's fall.

So I turned it on and-

"_Mistral Grand Museum opens a new gallery for the 'Kestrel Renaissance' this Tuesday_**-**"

I sighed as I could barely digest art-related news of this kind, but much to my chagrin the following five channels were still about the Musem's gallery or some interviews with some artist.

I had thought that Mistral would have been more concerned about Vale having fallen to the Grimm-

"_General Feldgrau has finally announced that the Vytal Festival will be held in Atlas just like the Vytal Commission had requested early this year. The Atlesian Council_-"

...Wasn't Atlas supposedly going have locked down everything because of what had just happened in Vale?! What is going on?

_**There is something wrong with those news. **_

I tried to ignore Ozpin's voice but... there was something wrong indeed.

_No shit._

_**I remember the event as I had pressed it to happen but-**_

Right in that exact moment, I switched to another channel, trying to get more clues on what was going on and... I found my answer.

"**After winning yesterday's Grand Capital Tournament for the thirteenth time, Peleus Nikos has announced his wish of retiring from competitions to focus more on his family in Argus. Is this the end of the Nikos' golden age or are we going to see a continuation thanks to his daughter, Pyrrha (7)? There had been some inclinations from the child to follow her father's footsteps in previous interviews-**"

_Oh my God, we are in the past!_

That means that every single plan I had prepared for the whole Volume 4 to 6 was scrapped forever... man, it truly sucks to have efforts thrown in the trashcan.

_**Oh, do tell me about it.**_

_But yours suck from the very beginning, when you are merely forming the idea behind them. Actually, why you sound so calm at the situation?_

_**While this is indeed an unique predicament, I do think that having experience with Magic and Godly beings has made my capacity to be shellshocked quite... abysmal.**_

Oh my, I _almost_ felt bad for that.

***Bump***

My attention returned back to the real world, panic surging as I saw it. Black fur, lanky and inhuman limbs and a snarling skull-like face.

I had just the time to yelp as the creature jumped right by the closest door to my seat and thrusted its claw through the small window deep inside the driving cabin.

Now you would expect me to dodge this without any itch and... you would be wrong.

I barely managed to move away from the bone-like, sharp claws, just enough to avoid any killing blow but still getting some damage.

I flinched and started to tremble, a noticeably gash on the side of my head forming at the contact and my left hand was pressing on the injury, trying to stop the blood from pouring too fast out of it.

Its growl and snarling muzzle was enough to keep me from fainting as my hand started to search and pick what I had placed for this kind of predicaments.

The short-muzzled shotgun was something I had never used in my life- scratch that, _I have never used a gun ever. _

I would have said FPSs matter as experience but- It wasn't the moment. I grasped the pellet-loaded gun and cocked its hole at the Beowulf, its maws open and ready to take a bite at my body.

*Blam*

The dust-powered pellet pierced throught its head, dark matter forcibly removed from the exposed weakpoint as the monster died instantly at the shot.

My back slammed on the other end of the cabin, the kick of the gun being something new as I had forgotten to put some better hold over it.

Dropping the shotgun, I didn't wait for the Grimm to fully dematerialise as I returned to the wheel and pressed my feet as hard as I could on the gas pedal. Beowulves hunted in packs and I was going slow enough for any other monster to jump in and finish the job.

The truck's pace doubled and I saw from the small mirrors that showed the trailer, several other creatures trying to jump and latch at the white, smooth texture but ending up to fail because of the sturdy material of the trailer and the friction of the high speed the vehicle was going.

The rapid pace continued for a while, adrenaline being the only thing keeping me from collapsing on the wheel.

This- This is bad. The hand on the wound was wet, red and starting to pale a little. I felt some form of tiredness slowly taking over and-

I needed to find some refuge. A place where to stay for the night and get enough peace to apply the medicines in the trailer.

I felt relief the moment the truck's headlights illuminated the signpost that showed a proper place to rest.

**Gekkeiju - 2KM**

Not a location known to my limited RWBY lore but good enough to see if I could get some proper hospitalisation. Sure, I hate hospitals but I needed some serious look over the wound.

I was no expert on the matter, but the injury hardly seemed like a flesh wound and my thoughts were starting to sound scrambled the more time passed.

At least Ozpin had decided to tune out from the situation, I don't know if for respect or more plotting on his part.

* * *

Gekkeiju was another abandoned settlement and this development was met with mixed emotions.

I was left to deal with my injuries alone and with my rudimental medical skills, but I didn't have to explain to any authority why I had a truck without proper documentation filled with guns and bullets.

I didn't look around the deserted city, my attention brought by a large building I had spotted from afar as I approached the town. It looked like a factory... but there was nothing inside from what I could see from the open gates.

Groaning a little, I started to slowly manouver the vehicle to enter inside the building.

The moment I was sure the full length of the truck was inside, I turned it off and went to close the gates, the task becoming quite tiring because of having one arm available for the job.

Speaking of the injury, as I started to walk toward the vehicle, my legs gave up and I fell on my knees.

I was tired, incredibly tired and yet I needed to g-get up and get some medicines.

Limping towards the trailer, I slowly opened its doors and I blinked.

_The pink-eyed child with black hair blinked back._

Oh. "H-Hello?"

Lie Ren merely stared, not a word uttered in reply to my greeting as his eyes wandered back to the hand clutching my wound, surprise building up the moment he realised I was injured.

"I-I have to get some medicines- I am not going to hurt you but-" I paused the instant I spotted another head appearing from behind the boxes. "Oh, you have a f-friend."

Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, I slowly stepped inside and went to the small box with the red cross symbol on it and picked the objects I needed.

A bottle of rubbing alcohol, few bandages, some cotton wool and a healing cream and a pair of trauma shears.

While I never experienced this kind of cuts before, I knew the procedures of dealing with head's injuries after... that unpleasant 'accident'.

First thing first, cutting the hair around the wound. I would have tried to find a mirror to help me in the step, I decided to not waste that kind of time.

Slowly but steadily, I managed to remove most of the black hair around the spot, giving me the opportunity to go forward with the procedure.

Grabbing some of the cotton, I applied some alcohol to it and gave it a short glance, gulping nervously as I started to tampon the area of the wound.

Some pained hisses left my throat but... I couldn't skip this step as I needed to make sure the wound wasn't getting infected during the recovery.

Finally I grabbed the healing cream and started to softly apply it on the gash, the cool sensation it was giving now sending shivers to my spine. It was quite the interesting feeling.

Lastly, I unraveled some of the medical bandage and applied it around my head, the rest of the cotton placed right between the bandage and the skin where the wound was.

Having completed the procedure, I let a tired sigh loudly out of my mouth and turned my attention back to the two children.

Nora's blue eyes were fixed at the bandages around my head, childish wonder hidden in her orbs.

Ren was still staring at me. His pink eyes trained at my face, waiting for me to do something, anything that would be remotely considered dangerous for him and his friend.

"I suppose that you have been told to not talk to strangers..." I mused out-loud, the children still silent but I could see some minor reaction at my words. "Then I will introduce myself."

"My name is John Bukharin and my current destination is Vale." I said calmly.

The boy frowned at my faux name, seeing that it didn't match the standard color/element naming system.

I bet my real one would have brought even more confusion, considering that it is quite hard to pronounce and memorise.

Nora blinked and her lips moved silently, repeating my name before nodding to herself. "I am Nora." Then she pointed at her friend, Ren now staring at her. "And this is Renny."

I nodded, keeping just a small smile in my face as I fought off the need to squeal of a chibi Nora. While she looked a shadow of her future self, she had that kind of adorable, squeaky voice only a monster wouldn't love to hear.

"_Nora-_" The introvert child whispered, trying to chide the girl but failing as he kept glancing my way.

"So, Nora and Ren." I hummed quietly before nodding again. "Nice to meet you both."

The Valkyrie smiled a little while the boy merely sighed in defeat at the circumstance.

Before I could further ask more questions, my stomach gave a loud rumble.

A small blush spread in my cheeks at the embarrassing noise but much to my surprise, the loud rumble was followed by two smaller ones. I looked at the two children, Nora patting her belly while Ren looked away in embarrassment.

"Well, I suppose I will start to make something for dinner." I moved to leave the trailer but paused just a moment. "Any preferences?"

The girl shook her head in negative while Ren looked pensive for a while. "I... I would like something with vegetables."

"Then I will make some nice salad for you, Ren, I think I saw some ingredients to make a very delicious one." I replied with a smile, the child merely nodding at my comment but letting the ghost of a smile appear in his visage.

While Nora seemed to trust people a lot easier than her friend, Ren's inherent paranoia wasn't truly wrong. If I had taken the brunt of his traumatic experience, I would hardly let anyone sweet-talk me out to backstab me.

As I started to prepare the cooking instrument on the cold floor of the factory, my mind returned to trace the lines of my future plans.

Staying in Vale for too long would be a bad choice, especially with Past!Ozpin (Still I had to understand how there were two Ozpins) still ruling from his high tower.

_**I hear that Atlas is a nice place nowadays.**_

* * *

**AN**

**I am in the Past! And there are two Ozpins to face off (The fun has been doubled!)...**

**Ren and Nora, two adorbs kids to spoil and take care of!**

**And before asks yes, this happens prior to Summer's dead so... she might die like she might survive for some random shenanigans.**

**Lastly I would like to point out two things in the story:**  
**1) The 'Accident' is something that has really happened when I was a little kid. Let's just say that I had to have an emergency surgery and I remember the particulars of that day because... pain;**  
**2) My name is really hard to pronounce and it has little reference to colors or fables so yes, faux name for now but I will see if it will be revealed off-camera or not.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blake Tourdner****: Yep, this chapter is proof of that!**

**merendinoemiliano****: I don't know... I have plans for Qrow to have another pairing (nothing Yaoi of course).**

**Crozz88s:**** It was Renny and Nora!**

**Guest (Chapter 1)****: Just like any other stories of mine! Those are the best adjectives to describe them! xD**


	3. Live and Let Live (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions-as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all.." _**– Friedrich Nietzsche **

* * *

**Chapter 3: Live and Let Live (2)**

* * *

I am incredibly glad that I had pestered my parents to teach me how to cook simple cousine.

The delicious spaghetti with tomato sauce ended up with a positive success, the children loving the dish and almost ending up eating their own plates.

Obviously I know that this wasn't exactly caused from the quality of my cooking, but from the fact their last meal had been almost fourteen hours prior to the dinner.

After cleaning the dishes, Ren and Nora decided to return inside the trailer, opting to sleep there as it was a tad bit warmer compared to the cold temperature of the large building. I was pleased when the boy accepted my offer for some pillows and covers to further keep themselves warm.

This meant that, while there was still some distrust from the minor reluctance to accept my small help, there was still a tiny space for dialogue, although it had to be acceptable to the pink-eyed child.

Nora gave a quiet 'thank you' before entering inside and returning to her previous spot.

It was this brief interaction that reminded me that I was dealing with two traumatized children.

A grimace tried to form in my face, my thoughts focusing on what I should do with them once I reached the closest, working civilization point in Mistral.

While I was going to take care of them for the entire duration of the trip, I was inclined to not bring them with me in Vale.

But this uncertainity wasn't casual or maliciously-crafted, as I knew that once in Vale, things would turn incredibly difficult as I tried to dodge the younger Ozpin while keeping the older one under my strict surveillance. Plus avoiding Salem and her minions.

_**Man, this is so annoyingly complicated.**_

I had long thought that the nuisances back home were a mess to deal but... okay, I admit that I actually expected that Remnant wouldn't be any sort of easy walk anyway.

I was stuck in a precarious situation. Deprived of means of comunicating with other people, _more capable people_, planning of going through a dangerous path that was festered by Grimm and bandits-

Oh. I just remembered that, timeline-wise, Raven has to have already taken the leadership of her tribe and... she patrolled near where I was supposed to pass through.

Now that is a new level of 'being screwed by fate itself' in my circumstances.

But you will surely ask now why am I having this little inner monologue when I am supposed to be resting to be ready for the following morning... and I would reply to you that I am not planning to sleep.

Not with the burning sensation of the medications applied to my wound were giving me, forcing me stark awake for the rest of the night.

Instead of merely procrastinating and dumbly spend the time there merely waiting around for 7 hours, I decided to give a proper look of the factory, the staff-reserved rooms where I hoped to find something in particular that would ease up my not-so-smooth journey.

Getting a flashlight out of the crate containing this kind of stuff, I started to wanted around the complex.

I stared cautiously at the broken doors of a malfunctioned elevator before walking up the metal stairs that led to the floor above, the place being set in two levels and I knew from past experience in job-finding that the staff rooms were set in the highest one.

Most of the doors on the level had been left open, none of the previous occupants thinking about protecting the content of their rooms for the sake of trying to outrun the Grimm.

I glanced briefly through the entrances of each room but my attention was quickly taken by the damaged plaque attached in one of those.

It was the room previously owned by the director of the facility. My hopes increased as I entered inside to find the place well-preserved, just few cabinets having fallen in the mass stampede that was caused by the workers of the factory and the damage caused by some Nevermores slamming on the sides of the building.

At least I think those were caused by several Nevermores as I find unlikely that Salem had yet to give wings to Berials... or maybe there was some type of Grimm I was unaware of that could seriously compromise the predicament even more.

At this point, I was quite paranoid over the many things that could go wrong right now that I hardly found much of a hope to have the 'jolly' trip I had wanted for myself.

I poked softly at the bandages, flinching at the contact was enough to spark a quick, sharp pain through my head. I should seriously stop doing that.

My eyes, half-closed by the tiredness, darted to the immaculate computer-like device attached to the single desk of the room.

Sitting on the creaking chair in front of it, I looked around to find the switch to turn it on and-Ah!

The device blinked alive, the screen illuminating and showing some unknown companies' logos as it booted up to the desktop.

My smile froze and died grimly as I found myself staring at one obstacle I hoped to not find in this world.

**Input the Password:**

I swore loudly, the room far enough to allow me some vocal reaction to this nuisance, but nonetheless I started to input several combinations.

**1234**

**Wrong Password!**

**4321**

**Wrong Password!**

**Wrong**

**Wrong Password!**

I groaned in my hands as I felt my stress increasing the more those two words appeared on the monitor.

Yet after my third attempt, something else appeared in the screen.

**Helping question: The day we officialised our love.**

...Seriously?

I mean, Remnant has yet to experience massive hacking issues but to leave this kind of hints around was kind of dumb.

_Why not leave it '1234' and bother that approach?_

The small photo with a newly-wed couple was still intact in the desk and I gave a quick glance at the date written over it.

"March 18th 1976."

**180376**

Once I pressed the 'Enter' key the desktop loaded before my eyes and... I smiled widely as I found just what I needed there.

**CCT Emergency Connection**

I double-clicked the tower-like Icon and a small window opened... waiting for further commands. Blinking at this, I paused a moment to consider what I was supposed to do there.

Was I supposed to digit a simple query? Or maybe should I write a specific command?

My musing came to a close the moment words appeared in the window.

**Inquisitive-12: Admin G-41, who is currently using the post?**

Oh, was someone monitoring the connections? That would make some sense just to verify the situations of the various settlements... especially with Mistral being so decentralised and disinterested in dealing with the bandits.

**Admin G-41: John Bukharin, sir. I request a small evacuation setup for me and two children by the proximities of Gekkeiju.**

**Inquisitive-12: Is someone there injured?**

**Admin G-41: Just a flesh wound from a Beowulf, sir. But everyone else is fine and well.**

A brief pause followed and I waited for further instructions. If I managed to get a safe passage through this part of Mistral, it would make life much more easier for me.

**Inquisitive-12: Due to several sights of a flock of Nevermores in the area, sending a Bullhead directly to the settlement is unlikely.**

No. This is- This is unfair!

I slammed my fist on the desk, avoiding to damage the keyboard in the process of stress-relieving.

**Inquisitive-12: But it is possible that a Bullhead could be sent to The Claw's Bay.**

Claw's Bay? I pulled out from my small backpack the folded map and stared at the Mistrali section of the map and- oh, it is this point.

I think it is an hour or two from Gekkeiju if my basic geographic estimations are correct.

**Admin G-41: We should be able to reach it in few hours.**

**Inquisitive-12: Good. A Bullhead has been ordered to reach the zone, should arrive in four hours from now.**

That left me two hours to sit and wait for the transport to arrive.

**Admin G-41: Understood, Sir.**

**Inquisitive-12: 452-682, use this number to call with your Scroll if there are issue in the way. I hope you will reach Paragon's Reach safely, Mr. Bukharin.**

The user logged out and so did I.

Turning off the computer, I started to walk back to the truck and, as soon as I reached the stairs, I froze in a panicked expression.

From the small opening in the gates I could see shadows walking around the entrance and, walking slowly towards the vehicle, my sight over the unknown figure got clear and... fuck.

Those were bandits and... OH NO!

Pacing quickly but silently across the space between the stairs and the vehicle, I glimpsed inside the trailer and saw both children still sleeping peacefully. Without thinking too much about it, I moved inside the trailer and tugged at Ren's sleeve.

The boy groggily opened his eyes, his initial look being an irritated one but it quickly collapsed in a wide-eyed one as I had my finger on my lips, asking silently from his silence.

"_We got a bandit issue._" His eyes widened even more at my whispered explanation. "_I want you to be quiet and keep Nora silent too. I am going to get us out of here, do you understand?_"

He gave a quick nod. "_Good._"

Leaving the trailer, I crouch-walked towards the driver's cabin and slipped inside the damaged door and stared at the key already plugged in.

Once I turned it, the sound will surely alert the bandits and draw their attention on the inside of the factory. So the moment I did so and felt the engine roaring to life, I was already pressing my feet on the gas pedal and moving towards the gates.

Wide-eyed criminals stared in shock as the massive form of a truck came through the gates and slammed into them. I didn't see blood but even I knew that a truck in the face was something that killed people. _And thus I finally drawed first blood._

Without thinking much about it, my mind forced to focus on the illuminated path, I proceeded through the bandits-filled road and managed to get some more roadkills before I got some replies to my actions.

Several guns of different calibers started to concentrate their firepower onto the driver's cabin, forcing me to duck and pray to not slam anywhere as I moved the vehicle away from the hostile area.

Surprisingly enough none of the bandits had any vehicles that could help in somekind of pursuit of Truck-kun and I was glad that after few moments of doom I was able to leave Gekkeiju mostly unharmed.

Relief slowly started to soothe the pressure I was exercising on the gas pedal and I slowly felt my eyes half-close the moment adrenaline started to leave my body-

Wait, how did the bandits get there without vehicles?

Dread surged through my veins as I found the answer in the most horrifying of sights.

It was a small raven, eyes blood red, approaching the truck from the opposite direction. Her form changed into my worst nightmare, under the pale light of the shattered moon.

**MOVE!**

Ozpin's voice brought me out of that panic-induced daze, my body tilting to pick the shotgun I had previously used but-GAHHHHHHHHHH!

The glass making up the front window shattered instantly as she thrusted forward and-

The arm that was going for the gun twitched in a pause as my other one was almost cleaved off by Raven Branwen's katana. The blade pierced deep but it was few inches away from severing the bone.

Still the agony was there to keep me awake as I reached rabidly for the shotgun, aiming it as rapidly as my adrenaline-induced reactivity could afford.

I could see her eyes widening at my reaction through her Grimm-like mask.

"**B-BEGONE THOT!**"

The point-blank blast was effective in sending her flying out of the driver's cabin... but she had left the blade sticking deep in my arm- I-It didn't matter!

Slamming once more the gas pedal as much as I could, the truck reached an high pace while I tried to manouver the vehicle with a single arm and the atrocious pain surging from my injured arm.

Twice in two days. This wasn't a lucky week for me, that's for sure.

My little adrenaline rush deflated as soon as I noticed that the speed was starting to decrease. A terrible realisation was given solid proof when I stared at the fuel's current level and it was... empty.

Nononononono**nononononNO!**

Then the truck came to an halt, a very unpleasant one as I felt my hopes of at least surviving this place crushing the quickest ever.

My head lowered on the wheel, defeat painted on my face as I stared blankly at the floor. The blood dripping from my wounds, the one in the head opening the moment Raven slammed on my chest to cushion her entrance, were forming a red lake.

My eyes closed when I felt rustling coming from the foliage by the sides of the mud path. Either Grimm or Raven, I was screwed anyway.

So this is the end of the line? And I had imagined some long adventure. Life do sucks double in Remnant.

But as my mind continued to lose itself in my dark thinking, I failed to notice that the ones currently approaching the silent truck were neither of those.

Just a voice, muffled by my ears as pain drowned me further away from reality, managed to make way to my mind. First with a gasp and then with a loud exclamation.

"_He is still alive! WE NEED A MEDIC HERE!_"

* * *

**AN**

**Oh look... another flesh wound.**

**On a serious note, the reason why 'I' am this unlucky is... because I am like that in real life. Generally many bad things happen when I hope those don't and... yep, I don't need a semblance to be this unlucky.**

**Plans fail when faced with reality, Murphy has stated it and now the live experiment that I am proved him right.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano****: Thank you!**

**Xellos1****: I had initially planned for this to be farther in the past but I found myself doubting that I would be able to accomplish much by going so far. Ren and Nora are 7, just like the other characters (minus Ruby, she is 5).**

**Blake Tourdner****: Many people expects the hero to have some kind of plot-shield in this kind of stories but... I don't. While it would be crackish to make myself overpowered, I think it would ruin everything this story is trying to say: the hero, the reluctant one, is the saddest and most tragic one.**

**Guest 1 (Chapter 2)****: Going that far in the past would open a can of worms I don't wish to open. It would mean fill up some gaps that the lore doesn't offer and, frankly, I don't wish to over-burden myself with that much fan-lore creation. Still I will add some lore myself, Pyrrha's parents' names being the first thing and the new settlements along Mistral being another.**

**travisck****: That is one of the changes, the other being that the protagonist is not a battle-hardened huntsman like old!Jaune. I am not that fancy or special... meh.**

**NeroAlmia****: Actually now that you bring this up, I did write the story as if this was Re:Zero... even though I had not planned for this to be like that. I just started with the concept that I was going to be me, nothing special on the can apart from some basic and common uniqueness regarding a moderate understanding of a computer's working (since my father is a programmer) and some simple knowledge over Micro-Macroeconomics (I mean, I did pass Micro with 18/30). But yeah, Isekai is merely the crystalisation of the escapism that cloak the newest generations, the need to not deal with the real world by hiding in one that sounds amazing by storytellers. But where there is fun and good, there will always be bad and sick. It is a must in a genuine world to have every single opposites clash with each other and 'the better the good side is, the worse the bad side will be'. Also yes, he is stuck in the past (10 years) and having a weak Ozpin in his head (this will turn into a curious predicament and paradox). The reason why I suffer here and there is because I've been thrown in a situation which I am not prepared (physically and mentally) to face. It is like Dark Souls in that aspect, the player needs to adapt as quickly as he can but... that is a game, while this is the 'real world'. So some pains early one, some close encounter with Lady Death and then things will stabilise... maybe. P.S. Don't overdo things! Get proper resting, this author demands it! xD**

**GoTeam****: Will be explained in the future. I have some plans about older Ozpin.**


	4. Live and Let Live (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_My centre is giving way, my right is retreating, situation excellent, I am attacking." _**– Marshal Ferdinand Foch, WW1.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Live and Let Live (3)**

* * *

Oh sweet numbness, how much I had (NOT) missed you.

But I guess that is the best outcome from what had happened before I lost consciousness, especially since getting my arm almost chopped off would have easily ended up with me die by bloodloss.

That wouldn't have been funny, especially since I kind of want to have a long life and die by old age. Is it wrong for me to be worried of losing things up because of some ill-fortunate encounter.

I mean, I bet my current Karma has to have reached some cosmic balance the moment I denied Raven's stabby attitude with my pellet policy. Now that was a really funny thought that will make me gloat over that predicament.

Yet I don't think that it has been a worthwhile exchange, knowing that the woman was resilient and had Aura to protect herself from the blast and the resulting flight throught the forest.

Speaking of Big Bird, I was quite sure that she actually didn't get hold over my numbed body after I passed out.

How did I knew that? Well, when my touch perceived the smooth texture of good bed covers and when my thinking proves that I was far from dead, I think I would be right by saying that I wasn't being held hostage by the Branwen tribe.

My eyelids opened slowly, it felt like I was trying to open some massive doors and... I stared at the confusing ceiling. I was inside a tent, a very clean one if the lack of stains were to be taken into account.

The first thing I turned my attention to was my left arm. The limb was still attached to my body but it was also heavily bandaged and still numb from Gods know how many painkillers.

But I counted myself lucky as I knew it could have ended far worse and-

Footsteps approached and soon a short figure entered inside the tent.

Blue eyes widening in surprise, a twitching mouth and pancakes falling on the ground, I barely had enough time to brace myself as the small missile known as 'Nora Valkyrie' jumped onto my chest.

Air forcibly leaving my poor lungs, the ribs having yet to recover from the previous impact with Raven's legs, I managed just a shaky smile as she looked up in surprise and mortification, remembering that I was injured.

She was about to jump off when my sluggish arm reached for her head and I patted it. The effect was immediate as the girl froze at the contact, eyes wide open in shock at the situation before starting to slowly melt as I caressed her hair.

"B-But doesn't it hurt?" Her question was legitimate as I was unaware of the full extent of my inner injuries.

Still, I couldn't help but manage a small smile. "It doesn't."

"You are flinching." She stated with utter certainity and I truly was. There was a small pain coming from the spot the girl had chosen but I was capable of enduring it all for a while.

"I am, yes." She hummed quietly, her mind trying to find a comeback to my cool attitude but she ended up with a simple shrug.

"So what happened while I was sleeping?" Her smile returned full-force as she straddled on the covers.

"Nice people took us in their camp and gave us food and water. They are all friendly and- they have cute ears."

… "You mean like animal ears?" At her nodding at my query, I started to think about this development. This camp was owned by a Faunus comunity but… what kind of comunity are we talking about?

World of Remnant never mentioned Faunus-only settlements outside of Menagerie and I was quite sure that this wasn't even a permanent one. The tents were the same kind people used for temporary camps and I was slowly getting convinced that this was the case.

"And they are here because they were going back home after a…" Nora scrunched her face as she couldn't voice out the last word.

"Do you need-" "N-No, I got this! It was something about… a streak?" I admit I had an amused smile as she tried and failed to get the right word out.

"Do you mean 'strike'?" She blinked and nodded, making me sigh and pause once more.

_**It was at this moment that Bukharin knew, he was half-screwed.**_

As if on cue, another sets of footsteps reached the entrance of the tent and… Ren stopped to stare at me and Nora.

"Good morning?" He whispered, his voice almost lost before reaching my ears.

I smiled. "Good morning."

As soon as I returned the greeting I saw a shadow approaching. "Ren, is everything al-right." The young woman proceeded to repeat the same pause the pink-eyed child took, amber eyes fixed on my form.

Kali Belladonna was holding a little sleeping girl, one that sported a pair of cat ears like hers. Blake, as a kid, was adorable.

"Good morning?" This time I tried to start the approach, feeling like there was much more than I was completely unaware of.

* * *

I was brought by a Dog Faunus in the Chieftain's tent, much larger than the one I had woken up into and with piles of books lying around.

Ghira Belladonna was a very intimidating individual to sit in front of.

Mind you, it wasn't the fact he was a Panther Faunus with claws and enchanted senses that scared me the most.

It was his height and size.

I would consider myself to be an average young man, tall 5'8, with a mediocre physicial state (No muscles, but not fat either). Being brought face to face with someone this massive, no matter the circumstances, was kind of distressful for someone that has survived two near-death experiences.

But my worries vanished the moment he started to spoke.

"It's good to see you recovering, Mr. Bukharin." I felt a tense note as he said my 'name' and I kind of felt sweating for a moment. I was stuck in a wheelchair made of wood because of how heavy the casting around my wounded arm was, 'crippling' any chances of moving as quick as I wanted to.

"Thank you and I want to express my gratitude for having helped me and the kids-" "Nonsense. It was what any good individual would have done."

He nodded in my direction to emphasize that he mean it. Now that I looked at him, skipping the whole 'younger' skit, Ghira looked less stressed than how he was showed in the series.

Could it be because there was no Sienna and Adam stirring extremism within the White Fang?

It was a strong possibility, especially since it would make things a little less difficult. I didn't have to worry about getting attacked by White Fang grunts… yet.

"Mr. Bukharin, I hope you understand that I need to ask you a couple of questions." Concern present in his tone, I merely sighed in defeat.

While I was known with the name 'John Bukharin' to those who asked, I was certainly not registered anywhere as such. But the very thing that screwed my cover was possibly the content of my wallets, having placed there my ID Card with my real name. "Okay."

He nodded, picking a pair of reading glasses as he controlled right the card I had just mentioned.

"Right here it gives several unknown names, some might be places of birth and your hometown but I can see here that your name is..." He paused, staring up at me with a serious look.

I blinked. "Salvatore." I decided to keep quiet over my last name, feeling that it would be way too unnecessary, and thankfully Ghira understood, passing on the following question.

"What is this 'Repubblica Italiana'?" I was surprised he actually got the pronunciation right, wondering if this was something to do with certain part of Remnant having some resemblances of Italy or Italian.

"It is the nation from which I hail from, sir." He glanced once more, this time to double-check if I was lying or something similar.

His eyes returned back on the paper again, this time confusion hinted in his features.

"What about 'Comune di Palermo'?" Another query…

"It's the city where I lived, sir." ...and another answer.

He finally moved to the other side of the card and smirked. "Interesting signature."

I scowled at the burning weakness on the paper. "I have issue with writing by hand,** sir.**"

Finally the interrogation came to a close the moment I saw Kali entering the tent, little Blake walking close behind while hiding behind her legs. With a quick glance, I knew that she was staring at me with childish curiosity.

"I suppose we can stop here." Ghira said ultimately, smiling as his wife approached him across the small table. "You don't seem a dangerous fellow, 'Mr. Bukharin'."

"I think that would be hardly possible in my conditions, Mr. Belladonna." He was giving a peck on his wife's lips when his eyes shot wide open, his attention brought back to me.

I am an utter moron. Like, why did I even bother surviving in dangerous situations if I was so adept in complicating my life with my blabbering mouth.

"I don't recall having presented myself-" "But I did, hun." Kali interrupted her lover with another kiss on his lips.

...Oh right! Kali **did present herself after I greeted her!**

Okay about last few comments about myself? I am still an utter moron, but for different reasons.

The taller man seemed to relax at the explanation, embracing his wife and I was left pretty much forgotten.

Wanting to not end up envisioning this scene, I turned my sight away and my eyes fell right on the other individual that wanted out of that particular situation.

Little Blake noticed my stare and she turned to stare back, approaching me slowly.

"Hello."

She didn't reply and I was getting some Dejavu from her silence.

"My name is John Bukharin, may I have your name?" I asked with a curt smile

She returned it with a small one. "No."

I fake-pouted at that. "No?" Then I tilted my head childishly. "Then how will I ever be able to address you?"

She hummed, her cat ears twitching at the entertaining spectacle I was giving her.

"I will tell you… if you join the White Fang!"

…

I have seen so many political ads about joining different parties and movements, but never I had been taken by just a single statement like in that moment.

I proceeded to stretch my free hands toward her. "Deal."

Blake blinked in surprise but her smile widened. "Really?"

I nodded at her and turned to the couple. "Mr. Belladonna. I want to join the White Fang."

The two lovers stopped whatever they were doing to stare in shock at me as if I had grown a second head.

I mean, why it would be weird for a human to join an organisation meant to bring equal rights between Faunus and Mankind?

* * *

I admit that this new development had been spurned out of tiredness of being turned into a prey by everything between me and Vale, but I am quite flattered to have become the first and only human to ever join the White Fang.

When this was announced to the camp, everyone dropped their work to look at me as if I was a crazy man, but after some hours had passed and the shock had settled, I was now officially set to go to Menagerie.

So while I was waiting for lunch to be prepared and served, I was calmly watching over some bonfire with Ghira.

The man had given me permission to address him by his first name, fully introducing myself. Blake had done the same but she had also started to ask more about the reasons why I had almost died back then.

I decided to give her an abridged, gore-less version of the tale, managing to avoid any questions from her that could bring up more of the unpleasant experience I had suffered quite recently.

But just as Kali took Blake, Nora and Ren to play away from us, I felt the need to ask something I had long wanted to know.

"If I may ask, Ghira, what happened to the sword that almost killed me?"

The somber question took the man by surprise, his eyes widening once more before settling with a grimace. "We decided to keep it, why do you ask?"

"I was thinking about… taking a 'minor' revenge over my assailant."

"I thought you didn't know who she was." I had indeed left out the fact I knew the identity of my attacker while narrating my 'K-Rated Story' but… I had the perfect reason for it.

"Raven Branwen is kind of a dangerous individual to not know about." He flinched at the name but nodded in agreement. I was sure that Raven had to have already left some impression over Mistral with her ruthlessness and thus have left some infamous reputation to linger around the world.

"The woman is quite the horrible one… but may I inquire what you want to do about her? What kind of revenge you have planned?"

"You may." I replied immediately, giddiness as my plan repeated multiple time in my head and the face Raven was going to have once she learned about what was going to happen. "Let's just say that I wish to mail this sword to someone."

Ghira frowned. "Mail the sword? That sounds… tame."

"It might sound like that without a context, but I do have the proper receiver for this 'gift'."

"And where do you planned to send it?"

I paused, staring at the limpid, blue sky as I smiled madly. "Have you ever heard of Patch?"

* * *

**AN**

**For those who have yet to understand yes, I am a vindicative son of a gun when I want and boy, I am out for some blood from Raven. Next chapter I will put the full content of the letter associated to the package, to reassure them that Big Bird is still alive and that she 'lost' this while stabbing me.**

**Also White Fang: Yay, I am the only human in a supposedly Faunus-Only group!**

**Bet no one saw this one coming. XD**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**travisck:**** An interrogation and not one people had expected.**

**Perran Onh****: Yep!**

**NeroAlmia****: I think I managed to give him/myself(?) the space needed to create something from the curious circumstances. And yes, I am good at the two subjects (good but not above average).**

**Guest (Chapter 3)****: Ended up dealing with a bizarre situation. Hopefully I will be able to capitalise it as much as needed.**

**Blake Tourdner****: Yes.**

**SkyLuong:**** It will be a funny Omake.**

**Guest (Chapter 2):**** Man, I would have liked to play the game. I always wondered the potential of that What-If scenario.**


	5. Live and Let Live (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul. " _**– Dave Pelzer, A Child called 'It'.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Live and Let Live (4)**

* * *

After finishing lunch, the final preparation before moving back to Craw's Bay commenced and soon we marched towards the city-port, reaching it two hours later.

I think some were surprised when behind the column of Faunus walking towards the port, there was a truck moving slowly.

Yay, Truck-kun was safe and sound with its content and… the shotgun. My little friend, the one thing that actually wasn't being used to compensate for something… and the reason behind the diplomatic envoy being forced to camp outside the city was given the moment I stared at the glances the locals gave to the Faunus.

It wasn't hatred that caused this behavior, but I could see distrust and lack of willingness to approach and treat the group as equals. You know, walk normally by the sides of the road without giving too much weight about their appearances.

Maybe I was too much pampered to the idea that those kind of differences shouldn't matter by the end of the day, because both groups shared red blood and equal thinking capacities. And souls.

I had expected that the means to reach Menagerie would have been a large naval ship but… it was an airship. Like a smaller, wooden version of the Hindenburg.

The mere reminder of the blimp that caught fire and crashed down was a good reminder of why they hadn't used it for the rest of the trip. It's difficult to survive from high altitudes even with Aura and sabotages were excluded from the life of being part of the White Fang.

Ghira had been quite blunt and graphic in narrating some morbid episodes of losses happening during some of the rallies and strikes, deaths caused by 'mistakes' committed by the very individuals in charge of defending the peaceful protesting group.

I don't think I need to return back to my previous monologues about this world and how it is worse than ours but… yeah, it sucks twice as usual.

I think the reason why the man had told me this kind of tales was mostly to deter me from officially joining the organisation but… this kind of stuff just makes me even more eager to join.

Also after suffering two deadly experiences during my attempts to reach Vale, I think I wouldn't be totally wrong in saying that my luck disagrees with my previous plans.

I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was the Gods' intervention as I knew that would be far too much farfetched to be true, especially with the world still existing and having not been purged.

Boarding the airship, I was given a large room that I was going to share with Nora and Ren which sadly had only a queen-sized bed inside, but my solution to this problem was quick and simple.

Since I had to get stuck in the wheelchair until the cast was removed, and that meant for at least a full week it was going to be the case, I might as well sleep on it during night time and leave the bed to the children.

I think the girl, having started to grow attached to me, might have been doubtful of my decision, hesitant even, but I was thankfully helped around by Ren.

The boy might have eased around me, but he hardly perceived me as someone worth of being considered some kind of family.

Nora was an orphan from the very beginning and she would easily trust someone that had shown to her nothing more than selfless kindness. Plus I think my rudimental cooking skill seemed to have hit a soft spot in her heart as she had asked few moments before lunch if I could be the one cooking for her.

I gained a compromise by promising her that I would be the one cooking once we reached our newest home.

Ren saw his parents died, he could remember his time with his family before the Grimm sieged Kuroyuri and he certainly wouldn't be as quick to trust someone with some simple, friendly acts.

Obviously I wasn't surprised by the minor distrust but this impasse left me in quite the pickle to deal with.

When I had said that Nora had opened up to me, it was more like she had started to calmly sit near me, walk beside me and sometimes ask for some fairy tales when she wanted to go for a nap (While it was unusual for a child her age, I found out that she had been having recurring nightmares during the night and so she needed to rest once in a while).

I was… family? Maybe I was going a little far off the mark, but she trusted me just like a child would trust a close relative.

This situation, coupled with Kali's not-so-subtle hints to adopt both children, left me to plan how to get the boy to warm up to the idea of being officially taken care by me as a guardian.

And it wasn't because I wanted to keep some canon going, knowing far too well that my mere presence in Remnant was already causing some changes in the timeline.

The boy was traumatised and he needed to have Nora around. The girl had taken the least from the Kuroyuri's destruction and she seemed to be the only now as of now Ren could trust completely.

But while I was thinking about this situation and the possible solutions, I decided to address an issue that I could now fix before it would spark some unpleasant situations.

"_I am glad to hear that you received aid in the end, Mr. Bukharin. Still, I wish to apologise for having asked such a drastic solution-_"

The man on the other side of the call sounded nervous, possibly because I had been able to contact him hours after the planned time for the extraction. Maybe he had thought that he had just heard my last word and… yet I am alive.

"There is no need for apologies, sir. I know that it had to have been quite difficult to pick the closest place that the Bullheads could reach."

I got hold of one of the Emergency Scrolls in the Airship by asking the Captain of the vessel, explaining the extent of my predicament and all.

The call was quick, some nervousness from the other side, but giving more details over the reasons that led to our survival seemed to placate the man enough to not warrant more questions.

I decided to omit the fact that the kind group of people that had saved me was Faunus, just as a precaution to avoid unneeded panic and distrust over the legitimacy of the call.

The day ended with the dinner prepared by the ship's cooks, some seafood with veggies and other green stuff I actually wasn't unknown of…

… Or at least I thought.

* * *

Returning back to my cabin I went quickly to the single bathroom to freshen up, clean my teeth, before leaving it to the children to use.

As the two went inside the covers of the bed and I moved the wheelchair close enough to be ready to intervene in case one of them, or both, needed my help.

I slouched my head on my hand, the elbow of my healthy arm standing on the armchair of the seat as I tried to get some sleep like this.

It wasn't the first time I would do something like this… but it was certainly the first time I slept this position at night.

Few hours passed and midnight struck uneventfully, my mind busying me with only darkness as the stress rendered any attempt to dream bleak if not impossible.

I used this time alone and in silence to call out Ozpin, to try and understand why he had been this quiet until now. Sure, I wasn't going to listen to him but I was feeling quite nervous as of why he was this silent.

The headmaster refused to answer any of the probes, limiting himself with just a sigh once in a while.

At least I knew he was here, but I was ignoring why he would be this limited in his talking.

Did he finally see the bright light of being in the wrong?

My musing ended right as I felt shuffling in the bed nearby, praising my light sleeping habits for having caught this situation as… Ren continued to tremble in his sleep, whispering names and broken sentences.

I didn't pause a moment as I moved the wheelchair to the other side of the bed and started to tug at the boy's sleeve, trying to wake him up.

His eyes snapped open, pink meet brown and his scared/panicky expression slowly melted away in one of relief as soon as he remembered where he was.

"You had a nightmare." I stated calmly, Ren nodding slowly as he stood up from the bed. Looking at the sheets in silence, trying to calm himself even more but… I decided to meddle now just a little.

"You know that keeping everything bottled up isn't healthy." My words managed to pierce through the melanchonic bubble forming around the boy, his eyes glancing my direction.

"Look Ren, I know that I should be asking this from you as you would prefer to keep it all away from people but… you need sometime to open up, let the stress leave and... maybe ask for some advices."

"Why?" His voice sounded so tired, like a child being repeated over and over something preachy without a proper explanation. His reaction was way more tame than any kids his age.

"Because you may be surprised to learn what others keep in their heart." I sighed quietly, thinking back home. I did leave the real world in a disappointing state… I wonder what mom is thinking now.

She was surely worried for my disappearance… but there wasn't much I could do about it.

"Do you… want to hear about my childhood?" The question was whispered and the boy looked confused at the words, but this nonethelss caught his attention. "Would you believe I was 'worse' than Nora?"

He blinked, then frowned at my face and tilted his head a little. "Really?"

I cracked a smile. "I sure was. Why, there was one time where I tried to 'clean' some flowers and… let's just say I discovered that bleach isn't a good product to clean plants." His lips twitched and I continued without a pause. "There was also that time when I tried to-"

An hour or two passed and I managed to get Ren smiling and giggling a little as I continued to narrate my disadventures as a young child.

I was a pest in my childhood, the complete opposite of what one would expect from my current introvert attitude, and I am sure I am the general cause of why my father had started to get grey hair at 37.

* * *

**The following day, Patch.**

Summer Rose was smiling as she finished preparing another batch of delicious chocolate cookies, pulling them out from the steamy oven.

Yang giggled at the sight of the delicious treat being placed on the single table of the Kitchen while her younger sibling drooled at the scene, her silver eyes glowing in hunger as her tummy demanded nourishment.

"And that is the last one."

The little blonde let another giggle out as pulled lil' Ruby in a baby hold and walked towards the plates filled with snacks, making the mother's smile widen at the adorable scene.

It had been few days since she had been conceded another stay at home from her work as Huntress and she had been enjoying it with Taiyang, Qrow and her daughters by doing simple things, like cooking and telling the children some brave tales about her job.

The day had started quite simple, her eyes opening at the sight of her dunderhead of a husband tiredly trying to catch some rest after some tiring day at Signal.

Summer had long thought about switching to a desk job, as a teacher, because of her inclination as a mother to properly educate little kids. That desire was easily forgotten the moment she returned to think about her missions, about the lives she was saving, of the contribution she was giving to the world.

It might sound selfish but… she liked helping people for the sake of it.

As the older Xiao Long woke up and got his morning peck, he was off to the bathroom and then to work, leaving the woman to deal with their beloved daughters.

It has been just like every single morning since she took the stay and, despite it was a repetitive routine, she found it refreshing. She was resting and nothing interesting was meant to happen while relaxing away from job.

At least that was what she had long thought before Qrow appeared out of the entrance's lounge.

"S-Summer, we have an issue."

The Rose raised a brow at the panic in her former teammates' tone but decided to merely nod at him as he prepared to explain whatever had happened to have him this nervous.

Her silver eyes glanced briefly at the long package in his arm and the small letter he was holding on his free hand.

"Do you remember how Tai got… married with Rae?"

The mere reminder of that **interesting **situation sparked some initial concern on her visage, knowing that if it was something about that, it had to be quite serious.

"I do."

He gulped nervously, handing over the letter to her.

**To the Xiao Long Household (Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen),**

**I want to start this merry message with an apology if this reaches you in time of trouble or maybe in a moment where you are busy but… I needed to send this letter attached to the package. **

**Inside the package, there is Raven Branwen's sword that she had kindly left in my dying body before being promptly sent to hug several trees. Before causing any ruckus no, she is not dead (or at least I think so) and I am sending you this 'gift' as a mean to try to bargain something out of Big Bird (Yeah, I am calling her that because she isn't worthy of being called Mama Bird) to try and visit once in a while.**

**P.S. I still apologise if I had caused any unnecessary worry and I bid you a good day.**

**John Bukharin.**

Summer re-read the short message again, then she blinked in a perplexed frown.

"He 'took' her sword. And he sent it to us." Her mind's gears rolled furiously as she connected the dots of Qrow's concern with the content of the letter.

"He doesn't know about… the tribe's rules." The black-haired man gave a 'Nope' and her frown deepened a little.

"Does Tai know about this?" Her question was met with a sigh.

"He was the one receiving the package first, he didn't even bother to check if there was the real deal inside the box and went to search for this 'Bukharin'."

She hummed quietly while folding the paper in her hands. "And do you know why he is doing that?"

"I think he is doing it for the poor bastard." Qrow commented lightly, the children far enough to swear a little. "I mean, after having known her for so long I do understand his logic."

"Then I guess I shall join him soon… after I tell Ozpin that I need to extend my stay."

"He will accept, Sum, especially with the longer hours you pulled last time." The Branwen agreed and soon the two started to talk about other topics.

Like why was Qrow not in Signal doing his job as a teacher.

* * *

**AN**

**Next chapter there will be Menagerie and… Yeah, Raven will make another cameo quite soon. It will be super-duper crazy!**

**Also yes, I was a pest as a child but… who wasn't?!**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**merendinoemiliano: Thank you!**

**ruberforumfree: I will consider that.**

**NeroAlmia: The White Fang shall spearhead the future! Also the Fan-VN project kind of crashed and burned the moment I noticed that I lacked both artist and someone good with Renpy (Since I suck at it). But if I manage to get more free time I might reach out for some people and... maybe.**

**travisck: There are changes planned... just I cannot spoiler them all!**

**Guest (Chapter 4): But it had Tony Montana! That made the whole game 100% more awesome! xD**

**The THOT Patrol: Yep!**


	6. Settling in (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." _**– Ernest Hemingway **

* * *

**Chapter 6: Settling in (1)**

* * *

Kuo Kuana was the very representation of what one would imagine by thinking of a penal colony. An incredibly large settlement with so many people and buildings, while a good 75% of the rest of the island was conceded to the Grimm.

As we reached the capital of Menagerie, I was quickly briefed by Ghira with details regarding the city.

A homely settlement with so many people cramped all together. It wasn't that much of a ill thought to compare the real meaning of the sub-nation to the current predicament, especially with how crazy some laws here were.

The judicial system was a joke compared to modern nations, some issues legally settled by brawls in the local arena and the government was highly-centered in the hands of the Chieftain.

Speaking of leaders, I almost forgot to remind everyone that… it wasn't Ghira this time around. The man was still leading the White Fang, but the reason behind his sudden ascension to ruler of the island came in the form of blatant nepotism.

Zardula Lavana, Kali's father, was the benevolent leader of the Menagerie and one of the co-founders of the White Fang. Slightly taller than his daughter, the elder was still a bit shorter than Ghira. His face was a little wrinkled, signs of tiredness from having done so much in a lifetime permanently plastered on it.

When we all reached the large mansion owned by the Belladonna-Lavana family, I was kind of surprised to see Blake skipping in a moment of childish glee towards her grandfather. She jumped as soon she was close enough to him and the old man picked her with a careful hold. "Grandpa!"

He chuckled and raised the child up for a moment before bring her close to his chest. "Little Blake." She giggled and I cracked a smile at the scene. It was interesting to see that the girl had been this much cheerful in her childhood… but I was also reminded that the man wasn't mentioned in the Canon and he looks very old now. Man, my mind can be such a bummer once in a while…

As Zardula finished greeting Ghira and Kali, his stare turned towards me… and the kids.

Actually, I think I need to make a small step back in the narration as… my current situation was complicated in that moment. I was still making use of the wheelchair as my Aura-less ass was quite slow to heal up and my body was still strained from the previous predicaments, while the children were… doing something odd.

I had expected Nora to actually pick a free seat on my legs to keep the closest possible- but to see Ren not only join but also lead to some misadventures was quite the shocker.

You see, when you are given a wheelchair, your hands are supposed to move the wheels (at least this model required this kind of action). When the two incredibly curious kids took hold over the wheels, I was still 'sluggish' with my reaction time and-

"B-BOTH OF YOU STOP!" Leaving the airship had been the scariest thing as I had to move the chair through the various obstacles in the attempt of limiting the collateral damage. A true nightmare…

Anyway, as the elder took us to his office, I bowed my head respectfully at him once he had reached for his desk. "Chieftain Lavana." I waited for a reply and… nothing came back. Blinking at the lack of a response, I raised my stare up back to the man and I found him narrowing his eyes at… Nora?

The orange-haired child was staring back with a challenging stare. I blinked again, this time trying to hide the sudden pain erupting from my knee as Nora's nails were pressing onto my skin.

While I would comment how funny a situation I was looking at, a child and an old man engaging in a staring challenge, I think everyone could forgive me if I found the big picture bleak as this continued. We were the only three humans in Menagerie and… wasn't the Faunus Rights War supposed to have ended few decades ago?

WW2 wasn't something I was trying to achieve in this war- oh right, context. If a human dies in Menagerie, no matter what kind of nationality (or lacking one in my case), and the other Kingdoms caught news of that… then there would have been some War for 'Honor' or 'Duty'. Wouldn't be surprised if Atlas used the Casus Belli to literally enforce another, more humiliating peace.

So I went for the peaceful approach and placed my hand on Nora's head. The girl reacted to the sudden interaction with a blink, then her eyelids closed a little as I proceeded to caress carefully her hair.

Finally Zardula took notice of me (and just me), his stare softening a little. "Your child looks fiery." My smile widened a little at the words of the elder and I nodded.

"She is also very silly once in a while." Cue the Valkyrie glancing back with a small, mock-pout, continuing to accept my ministrations.

The Chieftain nodded, sparing just a passing glance at Ren as the boy avoided to have eye-contact with him, either because he didn't trust the Faunus or because he was just conscious of what I was trying to do. He was a smart cookie, I wouldn't pass up that possibility.

"I suppose they would feel quite intimidated by the circumstances." I had to force myself to not flinch at what he was referring to, forming up some response that would dissuade the man from that kind of theory.

"They don't know about that aspect of life, Chieftain." I started, my attention taken by Ren as his inquisitive pink eyes looked at me. If the show was 100% to believe from, then Ren and Nora were unaware of Faunus until before we encountered the community two days ago.

"Just two kids and… a very unlucky man?" A snort left the elder's mouth as I pointed at the cast around my arm.

"I can see that… but I also find you quite the unusual human, Mr. Bukharin." He paused just a brief moment, then nodded. "I hope you understand that I find your interest in joining Menagerie and the White Fang… surprising."

I nodded and he sighed. "Then I am sure you will also understand why I find it difficult to find this notion truthful and genuine." His words were expected. A punch in the guts, but expected.

Distrust was still a bitter, common thing in this world and I was sure that mere words wouldn't be enough to prove my honesty. Acta, no verba.

I blinked, my lips sealed in a thin line. "What do you wish for me to do then, Chieftain?"

The question reached a partly-surprised Zardula, the man possibly expecting that I was going to call some non-existing bluff for the sake of surviving in this situation but…

I was genuinely interested in joining the White Fang.

"I would want you to leave Menagerie and never bother us ever again." Shit. "-But I wouldn't forgive myself if I threw two children back in Mistral."

So… I was literally not getting kicked out of the island… because of Nora and Ren being with me?

Part of me was completely embarrassed by the fact that my plans were being possible because the elder had a soft spot for kids, being a grandpa and all, but it was also true that this wasn't something I had planned. It was a predicament that literally slammed on myself and… I shouldn't be feeling guilty about it.

"My daughter said that you are good with Economics." The leader spoke once more, drawing my attention back to him. "I think I will put you on probation about a job as an assistant for the bank. Nothing too much important and I would know if you… are honest about your intentions."

I nodded, putting some effort to not scowl at the job proposal.

I don't have anything against bankers, or anything bank-related… but the administrative duties were not something to scoff at. After all, I did spend some time with some former bankers while studying Economics and I did hear some unpleasant experience during while they worked there.

Biting down any protests, I merely nodded. "I humbly accept your kind offer, Chieftain-" "Call me Zardula."

I blinked and frowned at the interruption. "Wouldn't that be disrespec-"

He sighed. "I gave you the permission to call me as such, young man." My mouth closed instinctively and I barely glanced back as the elder looked at… one of the guards by the doors.

Wait, did I seriously forget about the guards? As I facepalmed myself within my mind, I found myself freezing up as I ended up noticing whom was guarding the entrance.

While the young man by the door was a silver-haired dog Faunus which I knew nothing about, the one on the other side was incredibly familiar.

Two orange eyes stared back, scorn barely hidden as her tiger-like cat ears twitched in frustration at the situation. Her brown hair was longer than the few moments she was seen in canon, but I could easily recognize- "Sienna, you will be the Mr. Bukharin's minder for the time being. Please… don't fail me again."

...Are you kidding?!

* * *

The bustling streets of Menagerie, which had been used in RWBY to induce some relief out to replace some difficult and dramatic scene, were hardly calming my nerves down.

Moving just what was needed to get the wheelchair going, I continued to keep a constant eye on the young woman I was following, knowing well-enough that she was doing the same about me.

While Sienna Khan was a very little developed character because Adam went full Stalin on her in Volume 5, the way she was mentioned, the way she had turned an entire peaceful organization in a full-fledged 'Red Army' was something that said much about her resourcefulness and her ambitious zeal.

In a direct fight I would be turned into mincemeat the moment I tried to reach out for my shotgun, but her death in canon pointed out her greatest weakness in an indirect fight.

She was too proud and too much paranoid to genuinely create a decentralized system to administer the White Fang and that caused the almost bloodless coup that saw her forcibly removed from power.

Hotheaded, she was supposedly easy to lead in a fight… but that was a silly edge to have, especially since I was pretty much useless in any confrontations as of now.

"We are here." Her tone was tightly restrained and I was half-convinced that she was studying my murder without bringing attention on herself. If that was the case then I would be more than happy to say that we were sharing something in common.

Moving my attention away from planning her death, I glanced curiously at the small household that was supposed to be 'owned' by me.

It had just one floor and it was incredibly cramped inside. A single bathroom, two bedrooms and a medium-sized living room with kitchen mixed in. My expectations were a little higher than this but… I could work around it.

As I had stated just now, the place was just one floor now, but given time and money, I could easily expand it and get it two or three floors taller.

I smiled a little and ignored the frown coming from Sienna. Maybe she was expecting me to actually whine about the size of the little flat but… I had much worse than this.

"So you are going to join us for lunch?" Her frown deepened but she entered inside the house without saying nothing. I took it as a 'yes' and, after sending Ren and Nora to wash their hands, I was checking what was inside the fridge.

Some veggies and fruits, some fishes and… is that a salami?

Picking the piece of meat out from the cold, I stared at it with some hunger. It's been a while…

Picking a small knife and some bread, I started to make eight sandwiches with the delicious meat, two for each individuals and… paused as I found Sienna giving me a long look.

It wasn't a hateful one, something quite surprising, but one of confusion and… hunger?

I shrugged at it, hoping that it wasn't going to kill me anytime soon and waited for the children to arrive. Nora was the first one to rush out of the bathroom, her blue eyes quickly locking onto her waiting plate and she eagerly blitzed through the room for it.

She gave a quick look my direction, a thankful one, before munching at her sandwiches. Ren appeared slowly after, his pink eyes staring first at me, then at Sienna and finally at his own plate.

With a small smile, the young boy started to take the first bites out of the bread, smiling just a little as the taste was more than acceptable. I wonder if his family had been vegan but… I think it was too late now to discover that.

My eyes were set on the only one person that wasn't eating, the Faunus refusing to satisfy her need for food and I sighed, picking my own sandwich and getting a bite out of it. Moments passed and I could see her hesitantly reach out for the treats offered, pausing a moment to contemplate whenever or not I had 'poisoned' her food, then she took it in her hands and… here is the first bite.

Munching it a little, she gulped it down and… slowly started to eat the rest of it. Then she moved to the second and finally… she stared at me.

It was right in that moment that I noticed that the stare wasn't **for** me but **for my** second sandwich. I narrowed my eyes at the silent request and was about to vocally deny her-

And for some reason I still offered it to her. I frowned, Nora giggled in her hands and Ren tried to appear clueless about what had just happened.

I looked at my hands, then as the smug-looking Faunus as she consumed my second treat slowly and cockily.

What the heck has just happened?

* * *

**AN**

**This took so long to write… IT'S UNACCEPTABLE! I swear, every time I take a minor break for exams I always get my pace screwed one way or another. Thank God I will have Uni done by next year and… I 'might' start to write seriously (and by seriously I mean something completely original and non-fanfic related.)**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**AscendedHumanity****: Yep.**

**SilentXD7****: Not as the leader of the tribe… something similar.**

**Travisck****: He is going to be careful about this and kind of get sorry for me as he learn that… I am pretty much Qrow minus alcohol and fighting skills.**

**GoTeam****: Yep.**

**Tom24800****: YES!**

**Blake Tourdner****: 'Sexy time'? Raven doesn't know what that means… yet.**

**NeroAlmia****: Yep and don't screw yourself over Gacha. Gacha is evil- but also good!**


	7. Settling in (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.__" _**– Walt Disney**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Settling in (2)**

* * *

I feel like my stupidity was starting to get redundant ever since I got yanked into Remnant.

Generally I would have been a little less naive in analyzing certain situations falling on my lap, but boy I had been completely clueless when I stepped inside the small building that was owned by the Menagerie Local Bank with the hopes of having a simple desk job.

Yes, I was aspiring to a boring workplace as first move in the social staircase of this world- but why?

Why would I be this much interested in having a stable income source that wasn't remotely related to slaying nightmareish creatures?

…

Oh? You actually want a clear answer? I thought my rhetorical musing would have been… easy to pick up.

I guess I should give something easy to understand: I am bound to a wheelchair and, excluding insane pimping with dual gatling guns and turbo to the sweet whip, I was kind of worse than the my normal self.

I was worse than… useless? Maybe I could try something, being a white-belt of Jujitsu (a very rust one at that), something like faking my death to creatures that could perceive negativeness.

Actually that sound like the worst idea, let us forget about this… brain-fart?

Yes, brain-fart sound legitimately correct.

Anyway, I think I am skipping some 'essential' details of the early morning as… I think there are few steps between waking up and literally being inside my new workplace.

My eyes snapped open at the unholy sun rays entering from the ill-covered window of the room, almost cooking part of my face at the scorching heat of the focused beam of light.

'Usually' I wouldn't mind waking up early, something that was kind of forced upon my body by the hellish school hours ever since good ol' Elementary school.

Imagine waking up 5 in the morning at the age of 9, fighting back the sleepiness by watching for fifteen minute straight the same thing playing in the TV.

The same cartoons, sometime quite boring and repetitive, but good enough to 'punch' me out of my post-sleep state.

But I am digressing here and… (Sadly) I wasn't a kid anymore.

The first thing my mind eagerly reminded me was that I had to prepare things not only for myself but also for the children.

Trying to pull a world record for getting prepared after just ten minutes inside the only bathroom, I was already rolling my chair toward the kitchen area.

Milk, check.

Chocolate, check.

Pancakes, check.

A cup of Macchiato coffee to further kick me up awake, check.

Sienna staring at me with a deadly expression, che- "GAH!"

I almost fell on the floor at the closeup of the woman, my heart rate picking up an uneasy pace at the scare so early in the day.

"Good morning to you." She sneered quietly, further aggravating my picture of her. While she wasn't as bloodthirsty (yet), her pettiness made up for that negative connotation of her personality.

It didn't help that she would 'forget' the simple peace branches I had been so cautious to extend to her, the Faunus only keen to accept temporary truces for the sake of… something.

Not even I could fully understand the inner workings of her brain but I was not shy to point out how annoyingly childish she would get for so little things.

I know, I just spent a single day knowing the 'real character' and I shouldn't be this much crass in addressing the issue that was her opposition to my… existence.

But there was something surprising that I had noticed in the little time I know her and that was… she didn't seem to give the same treatment to Nora and Ren.

She would address them quite calmly, almost as if she was talking to another Faunus or maybe a child one.

That meant that, while I was going to suffer her bias against humanity, Sienna was willing to spare the children this kind of ill behavior.

Something to be happy to know, but also something that sparked no little curiosity within my brain as I was now unconsciously trying to figure out why she was like this?

Trauma? Death? So many theories and little clue to genuinely build from.

What an infuriating woman, both in a common situation and in a simple analytical stance.

After recovering from the attempted 'assassination attempt', I decided to literally return the favor in the only way that I knew she wouldn't have been able to avoid.

I made her breakfast.

So when a giggling Nora entered the living room followed by a groaning Ren to enjoy the most important meal of the day, my attention was solely directed to the other adult there.

Sienna's animal ears twitched in annoyance, her eyes narrowing first on the plate of delicious pancakes that I had prepared for her. Whatever protest was forming within her throat, it died instantly because of two minor events:

1) Her stomach grumbling and whining for food, loudly enough for everyone to hear;

2) The steamy cup of chocolate milk I was eager to place right near her;

Her eyes widened, feeling that her own body was conspiring against her because of the _terribly_ delicious ambush I had set for her.

Sienna started to munch slowly at the first pancake with a sour look, defeat painted in her face as I was genuinely holding back some cackles at that delightful victory.

What does it taste like? It tasted like pancakes.

* * *

"Bye Papa!"

"See you soon, Uncle!"

No matter how much I tried to understand how I was now the caretaker of two kids, the mere way they addressed me was… utterly adorable.

My heart risked to melt more than once and Sienna decided to help me move the wheelchair away from the gates of the local school.

While it wasn't a legitimate school as it didn't have a proper curriculum, the teachers there were genuinely good if not competent. At the end, if they wanted to become Huntsmen, the requirement of basic education was were low compared to what I had thought it to be.

Ozpin had confirmed in one of his rare quips and I found this whole development… dumb.

_But what if a huntsman want to retire?_

**Their record of service generally help them landing some job in preparatory schools, like Mr. Xiao Long and Mr. Branwen.**

I tensed at the examples and the Wizard merely sighed.

**You know, for being such an insufferable young man, you have a good understanding of the period we are currently working with. **

_And that means?_

**While you are foolish in your ways, I admit that your knowledge does help a lot in planning something regarding 'our' survival in this… unfortunate jump back in time.**

Or is it a different universe? I decided to not pass through this idea as… I think that would be a terrible development indeed.

While I was cautious enough to not give too much of myself to Ozma, I was smart enough to know that some advice was essential in this 'new', brave world.

Plus it was helping me cope with the boring predicament of being a… vice-assistant to some clerk.

While anger stirred at this reveal when I reached for the receptionist for some indications, mostly because of Sienna's snickering at my initial shocked reaction, I quickly understood why I was stuck with this petty job.

I was still a stranger and, no matter how much Ghira and Kali could have vouched for me, the chieftain had to fully test my genuine interest of joining not only Menagerie, but also the White Fang.

It was a legitimate concern, especially since I was the only human trying to reach out for the previously Faunus-only organization.

It was a punch in the stomach, but I had to bear it if I truly wanted to not be further questioned in the future.

So… I followed every single task I was given, showing little to no reaction while keeping an amiable mask to try and build some professional relationship with the simple clerk.

Trying to approach the assistant, my direct superior, would have been useless. Why? Well, who would befriend someone that could replace you if you do some wrong step while working?

The silent competition between men in a place like a bank wasn't something dissimilar to mere politics.

And boy, did I make quite the backbone with my brief political career in my hometown.

The only way I would be able to survive getting mauled by the more experienced, senior worker was to exploit a good weakness the Dog Faunus had.

He didn't have an acceptable relationship with our mutual boss, giving me the chance to not only get quickly cozy with the older Faunus, but also start to worm a small place in his heart to bring even more 'legitimacy' to any idea I could propose.

Social-evolution to its finest and I kind of cringed how I was literally climbing the social ladder that was mostly made by different kind of humans around me.

I am not racist, but I kind of feel guilty of being the one literally exploiting the overly-simplistic work system.

Remnant had a single currency, the Lien, and its entire economy was still making use of the Gold Standard.

Quick economic lesson: Gold Standard is when the value of a coin is dictated by the gold reserves available to a nation. So that meant that, while Dust was the most mined material, it was still outclassed for 'worth' by Precious Metals (Gold, Silver and Diamonds).

I could only wonder what would happen if someone (cough, someone very sneaky, cough) was to pay for the creation of an electric engine or the creation of proper gunpowder…

I was already envisioning the SDC's stocks crashing harder than a poor guy getting RKO'd by Randy Orton, going bankrupt and that whole thing that happens to stagnant companies.

They could be developing something to replace Dust, something that could be easy to spread around the world and to monopolize too but…

They are so lazy. It would have taken just an ambitious man with some mad mind born from that family to pull a full world domination without sparking some war.

This last thought left my mouth dry and I wondered if there was some coffee machine around.

**At least we share a rightful need.**

_I am not addicted to it, tho._

**Indeed, you are addicted to soda drinks. I am still surprised how you didn't develop some serious illness with that attachment to sweet beverages-**

_Luck, badassery and being Italian._

**I don't even want to know what is an 'Italian' at this point. **

As he shouldn't, because that would open a can of worms that this world doesn't need to feel.

But yeah, the brief reminder that I had been unable to taste some good stuff was enough to bring out the bitterness that came with the sense of withdrawal.

I sure would have killed for some Pep-si? I blinked mid-thought as I felt my previously empty hand filling up with something cool to the touch. It felt metallic too.

I glanced down and saw the brilliant blue color on the tin can held by my hand.

Turning it around, I saw its name. **Pepsi.**

I blinked, dumbfounded at the tin can, bringing it close to my eyes as this was unbelievable.

Before anyone asks no, Pepsi and other franchises from the 'Real World' don't exist in Remnant… and yet I was holding the tin can.

I didn't waste time in carefully opening the small lids and- sip the dark-colored liquid. My eyes widened once more at the familiar taste and I felt my tongue twitch happily at the frizzy sensation.

This was Pepsi.

But how? How did it appear in my hand?

No one around me but cabinets, no 'portals' that could have dropped it and yet…

**It would seem like you are truly the most unique host, Mr. Bukharin.**

_Uh?_

**What you are trying to understand here doesn't abide to the laws of science. This is a simple case of Conjuration.**

…

_SAY WHAT?!_

* * *

**AN**

**I am a weezard?! ****Is this the beginning of the Era of the Soda Fiend Archmage?!**

**Little short chapter but… meh, I felt a little tired today.**

**Also left a small fun reference in the last section which I suspect only the readers in SV will catch easily because… 'Secret'!**

****P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin****

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Merendinoemiliano:**** Thank you!**

**Tom24800:**** My chapters are mostly quick reads. I ain't still capable of pulling 10k words chapters out of my butt. xD**

**travisck****: That is going to be a very, very complicated thing (Aura) that will be explained next chapter.**

**Gabe2000****: Thanks for the pineapple, dude, I needed some refreshing drink and that ship is fine too (xD). The sword is a sign that 'I' did 'beat' Raven (AKA not died against her) while getting her sword (so yeah, dumb win for me, yay!) but that also means that, by the tribe's rules, that 'I' will have to… marry someone. (*screeches in Italian) **

**Mirator Figmentum Scriptor:**** Here's more!**

**GoTeam****: I think it's more that she is part cat and I am a cat dude (Also a dog dude, if I have to be honest).**

**ArchAngel319:**** It shall be fleshed out and… it will be uber funny by the end of the first large Arc (no pun intended… yet!).**


	8. Settling in (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Fat men take a cushion with them wherever they go.__" _**– George R.R. Martin**

"_Is that a fat joke?__" _– **Behzinga (Ethan), Sidemen Yoga Challenge**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Settling in (3)**

* * *

Imagine being bestowed with the gift of being able of defying the rules of reality, to bend the world to your will with a mere thought. The power to be a step above everyone else, the fantasy turning reality at your simple command.

The thing that tingled within your chest was an emotion close to wonder with a sprinkle of childish giddiness at the quick thought of being able to do so many interesting things that long were thought to be impossible to you as a human being.

Now that you have thought about this all and have been properly painted with this amazing sensation, you may now imagine my reaction when Ozzie decided to power-slam my plans back to reality by mentioning few factual points that… I knew were genuinely infuriating as those were reasonably true:

1) My newfound magic was… different from the standard knowledge. My first case, the conjuration of a simple tin can with the right content inside, was something that Ozpin, once one of the strongest sorcerers in his first life, would have not been able to accomplish even in his prime. Conjuration was considered a 'myth' back in that era, the one before Faunus, Semblances and the Grimm;

2) While quite unique just because of the first revelation, this 'Magic' still had to abide to some rules of the world to be available to someone. Something that limits it either because of the external environment or because of the user's own ability to use it. The reason why the conjuration had been successful was because I had managed to conceptualize something that I was quite familiar with and I had managed to muster enough intent to commit the spell;

3) The precise limitations of Conjurations was something that worried me a little as the possible drawbacks and draining effect were nothing to scoff at. Was my magic closer to the Harry Potter's one, one that could easily recharge without issue? Or was it something nearer to the Nasuverse's Magecraft, which wasn't actual magic but a mere imitation of the True Form?

This very last point was actually something utterly serious in the immediate, having drunk a beverage I had conjured I was dreading the worst if there was indeed something akin to degradation willed by the world itself.

Yet the former Headmaster seemed to keep a very optimistic mindset, saying that never in his life he had seen spells collapse without an external, magical manipulation that forced this phenomenon to happen.

Now that the expected surprise started to dilute away in my mind, Ozzie decided to spend the rest of my work hours to lecture me about the responsible use of this dangerous and formidable power.

I had to keep myself from using it again until I got better at conjuring things, I had to not try and experiment new abilities without being in a place where I could safely train myself in using magic without endangering anyone.

Of course the old wizard tried to express his desire to 'teach me' about the mysterious ways of his own magic and obviously to do so he would require that I fully relinquished the control over my body for him to 'perfectly harmonize the process'.

And thus I cut down the connection the moment he mentioned such a dumb plan, feeling quite disappointed he was still going at it. While I was fine with listening to some of his sound advice once in a while, the same couldn't be said about his antics of me letting him take over my body for the 'sake of his duty'.

Returning back to work, I finished the rest of the shift with just a quarter of my mind still entertained by the idea of Magic. The ways that this new development opened were nothing to scoff at, especially since it created a new advantage I could use against Mami Salami and her clique.

While I was still the useless potato couch stuck in a wheelchair, I had the 'power' to keep up some distractions if I was ever going to deal with some spooky business during my period in Menagerie. Letting the boss pat my shoulder and praising my first day at work was something interesting, especially since the Dog Faunus, that had previously flaunted his good relations with the chief in charge of the bank, was now glaring daggers in my direction.

Silly pup, I ain't made of pillows and if push was ever going to come, I will merely _shove_ him off.

As I was slowly leaving through the open entrance of the building, I found myself jumped by a cloaked figure. The frame was familiar, but my mind was mostly sent to panic the moment I saw the horrifying mask the figure was wearing. I am not someone easily scared of zombies, but when you find yourself staring at a closeup of a very well-made mask of an undead creature, your instincts tend to kick in with some Horror Game/Movie PTSD at the sudden scene.

A shrill yell and I was on the ground – _AND I CAN'T GET UP! - _as I saw the being going still for a brief moment before finally having her arms around her stomach, the mask dropping and revealing one of the worst being in the world.

You may have feline features and I might be a cat-loving (animal-loving in general) man, but when you threaten my inner masculinity with those jumpscares… you are going to get a reaction out of me.

Said reaction was actually my leg moving right out of the chair and slamming hardly on her left shin. The effect was almost instantaneous as her surprise at the action was able to make her ignore the pain for a brief moment, before Sienna fell on her knees as she started to massage tenderly the pained leg. Mirthfully glancing turned into deadly glaring, but I was more than happy to return the staring with a growl.

I had expected her to finally react, to finally snap and pick a piece of me with the downfall of her career… but she merely sighed, limping right above me and helping me up.

"P-Paint me confused, but I was expecting-" "Some violent reaction?" She interrupted with a miffed tone and I sighed tiredly.

"You do seem like you are ready to maul me up, like from day one." I retorted at the implicit racist labeling. "It's only that, nothing about the fact you are-"

Words failed to address my distress as the tiger Faunus started to chuckle in her closed hand, her eyes closed as she started to push my chair towards home. She finally noticed that I was glancing at her with a weirded out expression and she sighed with a slight hint of amusement.

"You are just… so easy to pick apart, I guess." She paused briefly slowly taking on the challenging mini-ramp in front of me. "It's not _because you are a human_. It's because you are quite chatty with your… predicament."

She tapped at the wheelchair and I frowned. "I will have you know that from tomorrow morning I will be out of this 'predicament' and then-"

"You will have to deal with -that." Now her finger was poking at my upper thigh and I flushed red at the idea she had taken notice of my chubbiness. I wasn't outright fat, but I would be lying if I said I was something slim to look at.

As I said, potato couch.

"G-Give me some time and I will not be this rusty-ehi!" She continued to poke a little more, a small smile twitching at my uncomfortable reaction and… she knew I wasn't completely offended by the whole situation.

Maybe it was because I could hardly feel any malice in her tone right now or because I feared what kind of action she might take if I replied negatively at her playing around my poor body. Of course, that wasn't a free opening to openly grope me but… she was hardly doing that.

We finally reached home and- "DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

**Thud**

"-AD!"

My chest! Nora was giggling a little as she adjusted herself to stare right in my face, her blue eyes glowing a mad brightness. "School is so awesome!"

"R-Really, sweetie?" She turned around and I saw Ren peeking from his spot near the door with a sympathetic look at my current plight, nodding to agree at the girl's statement. Seems like he had taken a quick understanding in treating the overly-cheerful Valkyrie and made way as we all entered inside.

"Miss Cake was super-nice! She gave me a cookie when I helped clean up the classroom and I made some friends too!"

As the pain dissipated, I managed a wide smile at her description of her day. "I am really happy that you enjoyed it, Nora." She giggled as she continued to tell more about the school, the classroom and her friends, but only two details jumped to attention.

The first one was… Blake. The Belladonna child was a happy one, very open in this stage of her life and yet she was seen by both children quite alone back at school. Hardly interacting with her fellow classmates, the girl spent most of the time there to either study during lessons or reading some books.

Those were the telling signs that she was starting to grow into the outcast mentality- but of course people will ask 'how do you even think about this?' and I would gravely reply that I had been there.

Sitting alone, enjoying either a comic or a book and then ending up adopting the isolation as something 'normal' for me, labeling the rare interactions with others as something unique and… unneeded in the long-term.

Man, my childhood was that messy…

Returning back to reality I made some quick plans about this as I asked both Nora and Ren to keep to be there for the Cat Faunus and… I was then taken back from the second surprise of today.

Among the mass of Faunus children, one in particular managed to stood out from the rest of the class. Short, slightly scrawny and incredibly shy to the point of whimper at the mere approaching, Ilia Amitola was still in Menagerie in this point and time.

The girl was… still living in poor conditions, maybe her parents decided to then move to Atlas because of the lack of small jobs in the island as they tried to give their daughters some… better life.

I was supposed to feel merely sad by this development (or better, reminder) of this situation, but I wasn't. The only thing that was there was a familiar metaphorical hole aching in my chest, returning some unpleasant memories of my early life.

The crisis back years ago hit my family's income a lot. My father found his wage incredibly reduced, almost half from before the cuts were implemented, and we were all forced to move out from town.

Too much expensive living in a modest neighborhood and countryside was the best affordable at the time. School was different, the church was different and… it all felt like a cage.

A cage my parents had fought for years to either break or mold for the sake of necessity of fitting with my growth. Time passed and… things stabilized to a certain point.

Life was still uneasy for a long period of years, but I still managed to find some happiness in the little victories I could get out from the unfair system.

**Sigh**

I was glad that both children had gone to befriend the child and… that only Ren had managed a small success with his efforts. The girl had refused the overly-loud attempts but had been slowly coaxed out of the dark corner with some patience from the pink-eyed boy.

It wasn't a full-fledged friendship yet, but I suspected from the few words the boy relayed during dinner that he was still going to give his best to pull the Chameleon Faunus out of that sad place she was thrown into.

Speaking of dinner, as soon as I reached the kitchen I decided it was high time to return the favor to Sienna about her musings over my rusty form. The fridge had been filled with some food I had managed to buy before going to the bank, salad being something I had initially wanted to buy as something to merely look at and nothing else.

Now the simple food was going to become part of something great! As I prepared some meatballs with tomato sauce for the kids, I finished… 'cooking' the ever-green piece of diet.

Sienna's face fell the moment she glanced at the 'piece of grass' I had offered her, ready to swear a mountain if it wasn't that the children were there to listen to any 'bad words'. Trying to put up some resistance at her inherent hunger, the Tiger Faunus tried to not eat anything that day. Her stomach rumbled madly, eliciting some giggles from Nora and small smiles from Ren at the whole predicament.

But while the woman was uselessly trying to fend off her demanding belly, my hardship mostly went unheard. Munching at the unpleasant garba-_delicious diet food_, I found myself contemplating about why I had accepted this 'self-roast' for the sake of taking the woman out of commission for a while.

And even through I was ready to concede a moral defeat in front of this insane plate, I still managed to get a joke out of this as I offered Sienna 'some scrapes' off my plate. She glared at me for daring to add insult to the injury and the day concluded with her deciding to stay over.

Her sleeping quarter? My bed.

My _new_ sleeping quarter? The couch.

...Seriously how did I end up like this? We aren't in any shape or form engaging in _that_ kind of relationship and yet she deemed right to enforce this kind of situations. But in that contemplation I found out a very curious thing about this couch.

Compared to the bed, the furniture was _oddly more comfortable than my own bed._

_**Was this a victory or a loss for me?**_

* * *

**AN**

**I bet someone is asking when is Raven going to make an appearance and… it will be once MC and Sienna will receive a strange 'oversea' job.**

**So… we got chibi Ilia, before she lost her parents and went full-hate on humans. Can it be changed? That is a yes, how much will it take? A long time.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Tom24800****: It is neither HP nor Nasuverse. The logic is more Bsitty than many thinks.**

**Blake Tourdner****: That is priority number 1!**

**Gabe2000****: Kinda and yes, my brother in latin-blood.**

**GoTeam****: ...Kinda, yes.**

**Mirator Figmentum Scriptor****: He will.**

**Merendinoemiliano****: I am the slave of capitalism...nuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh!**

**2Victori****: Thank you!**

**Zeldawolffang****: I can see this becoming a thing…**

**OSR fanatic****: Thank you!**

**Travisck****: Sienna will have a good backstory (and a futurestory/backstory to canon) about her whole attitude with humans. Yes, she will have two chapters to add more to the plot, one being while they are in the 'oversea' mission. Actually that is the thing… it is not his semblance. And… it will be given more details later when his aura will be 'activated'.**


	9. Settling in (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Thinking about you. Lovely dirty thoughts.__" _**– Unknown**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Settling in (4)**

* * *

Getting out of that blasted wheelchair was the best thing after so much spent moving around with some annoying impediments. Kuo Kuana had some uneven sections of the road between my house and the bank, making it a tiring walk every time I had to go to work.

But this time? I was enjoying a silent, slightly wobbly walk to work and… Sienna was for some reason biting down some chuckles the moments I would turn to look at her. It was annoying at first, it was unnerving few instants after as she seemed to do this through the whole walk and… I suck at psychological warfare. At least this kind of it as I felt it was something so unpredictable of her that my mind found it difficult to elaborate something out of that smug appearance.

I reached the bank and bid a polite goodbye to the Tiger Faunus, the woman nodding as she started to go wherever she went after leaving me at work. It was something I had yet to ask to her but, knowing that she was working for Kuo Kuana's City Guard, I suspected she was going to the local barracks to get some rest and refreshment. I mean, I had never seen her going to the bathroom early in the morning and I strongly suspected it was a matter of trust.

Bed-stealing was fine, but the possibility of walking on her as she used the only bathroom was… a dreadful thought morally-speaking. She was after all extending some special trust my way, mostly because I had children on me and, if I have to be honest, I hardly think that her amusement is made out by the fact we were opening to each other.

It was a truce of two opposite minds: Mine sought the peaceful coexistence between people but also drifted away from dangerous elements; hers was centered around the idea of 'strong is good' and seemed to have a strong resentment towards humans even now.

I don't think asking about her background would be useful, actually I was sure that it would have distanced her instantly the moment those words left my mouth. If I was stretching my hand towards her, the woman was extending just a finger in return. Hopefully she wasn't flipping a bird but… everything can happen.

My paranoia, albeit very controlled nowadays, still kept a silent hold in certain situations. Like when I was cornered by the Dog Faunus I was 'fighting' for the praise of the clerk we shared as a boss.

His face gave a murderous look and I merely blinked as he made the threats I had expected. "Now that you are out of that damn chair, you will better watch out as I will not-"

"Look." I interrupted with a calm sigh. "I know that there is some ultimatum you have planned along the lines of wasting nights about it and, if I have to be honest with you, I am not in the mood to deal with those antics. Please keep a professional and civil tone in my regards as a fellow clerk."

He snarled and was about to retort this with some rant or threat but… he had forgotten an essential detail that made his spiel the most idiotic thing one could pull in a workplace like this one. While competitiveness was tacitly promoted, there were rules established by the Bank Director that 'forbid' the escalation of said challenges to this kind of situations or worse.

So when you try to threaten someone for this kind of silly predicaments _right in front of the door that led to the Director's office_, you know that your job is forfeit the moment said door opens loudly and the revered elder stares daggers at you.

"Otis, in my office now!" The Dog Faunus blinked in surprise, eyes going wide as he realized that… he had messed up big time. All in all I tried to keep myself to show my inner smug, knowing that I might get sanctioned even with the slight suspect that I had planned for this to happen.

And that was the case but… meh.

Reaching for the Master Clerk, I was relieved by the fact he seemed genuinely mortified by what had just happened and glad that he gave me a lesser amount of paperwork as an attempt to compensate me for what had happened.

Grabbing the files, I was starting to understand several important things of Menagerie's economic system. While limited to an 'antiquate' model compared to the modern standards of Macro-economics I knew about, there were elements that were 'beyond' simple Micro-economics.

Maybe I should explain myself a little there: Macro-economics started to be a thing when the Great Depression happened back in 1929 and… Micro-economics failed to perceive it. Quite a strange way to develop a new subject, but the disaster opened the eyes on the very important system that was until then left untouched. The State itself.

So while the papers were mostly centered around inner affairs, those within Menagerie, there were still some documents that led to some international transactions. Some of those transactions actually… sounding fishy now that I checked on those…

"Boss?" The Fox Faunus looked up from his newspaper and frowned at my voice.

"Yes, Mr. Bukharin?"

I stood up from my seat and took the papers to him, pointing right at the curious numbers I had found regarding a mysterious company that seemed to lack a place of origin and its current whereabouts.

It wasn't that much difficult to understand that some exploit was being pulled here, especially with the precise number of Lien that were deposited and then withdrawn from the bank… a single digit from reaching the maximum limit required for such transactions.

The Master Clerk's eyes widened a little as he picked the papers on his hand and started to double-check himself, his face paling more and more as he continued to realize how bad it was.

"This… this will have to be brought to the Director himself and-" He turned to glance at me. "John, please avoid talking about this until this matter is further investigated."

I nodded. "Understood, boss."

"Good..." He trailed off as he went right to the Director's office, leaving me to deal with the current workload alone and… bored. After finishing most of the job for today, I started to consider what I should do in case Raven managed to find out where I was now.

The woman was dangerous, unpredictable and very stabby if the previous interaction had to be taken into account. Hopefully she had yet to find a replacement for her blade, or maybe decided to face the nag of dealing with the 'weak team' he had left behind.

Speaking of Team STRQ… what should I seriously do with them?

**Nothing?**

_That would be easy but… we both know that they are essential._

**Ms. Rose was able to become a brighter huntress thanks to her mother's sacrifice-**

_Woah, you just didn't pull that!_

**I am just saying that time shouldn't be altered beyond some minor aspects as it would change the future.**

_...But what if I am changing the past __to__ change the future willingly?_

**Then you would be a fool. You wouldn't be considering the consequences this level of alterations could led into.**

_Actually __I do know__ that stuff could get crazy but, if I have to be honest, nothing would be worse than losing a well-trained team as STRQ. So… should we sent a letter to Summer Rose?_

**Mrs. Rose would hardly accept the word of a stranger that 'raves' about her possible death. There are so many flaws in whatever plans you are preparing and-**

_I know what I am doing._

… **Then do what you want.**

I blinked in surprise at the defeated tone but… there was some merits in his warning and…

I have a plan.

* * *

Taiyang Xiao Long finished correcting the last drafts of the recent test his class had gone through. While he was happy that most of them had reached a particularly high grade, as someone that wished to enjoy some time with his family the task was incredibly tiring and annoying on itself.

Still it was his job, he motivated as he took a moment to rest on his chair, eyes closing as he let few moments of silence pass. A knock by the door brought him out from a pleasant daydream of a picnic with Ruby and Yang giving chase to each other as he enjoyed a good talk with his new wife.

The headmaster's secretary, a young woman that was thankfully already married and away from ask him out… like the rest of his female colleagues, entered the room with a small white envelope in her hands.

"Mr. Xiao Long, there is a letter from you. It's from Menagerie."

The man blinked in surprise at the place, his mind failing to grasp anyone from the Faunus-led island that could have sent him something. Still he accepted that the young lady placed it on his desk, letting her go with a curt nod as he slowly approached the paper.

Opening the envelope, Taiyang started to scan the letter, his eyes widening in realization the more he read.

**To the Xiao Long Household (Taiyang Xiao Long, Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen),**

**Once more I apologize for the non-existent notice for this letter, but I wish to address some other information that I had managed to uncover through my stay in Menagerie, where I will remain undisturbed for personal reasons (that means no sudden visits, I beg of you to not bring attention on me and my family).**

**Differently from the first letter, the topic is no more about Raven Branwen. But it is about your current wife (please correct me if the title is wrong or has yet to be updated) and her peculiar… eyes. As of now I will advise you all to not take this up to Ozpin, as the Wizard would surely try to twist my words one way or another.**

**The Queen is always moving and she has human followers to obey her orders and whims. Maintain a close eye on Summer Rose, her eyes making her a dangerous obstacle for 'Her' plans. Have Qrow trail her during missions and… that's it.**

**I guess I will pack a possible future letter with more content, but as of now I am relegated to some good ol' paperwork and my brain is already fried enough to produce some quality stuff.**

**Expecting some reply,**  
**John Bukharin**

Taiyang re-read the letter more than once, trying to grasp fully what was being told there. While he had been suspecting that something was aloof with Ozpin, the fact this mysterious individual knew not only about the Beacon Headmaster's secret and the fact that Salem existed, gave the teacher further interest to concede some credibility to the mysterious individual sited on Menagerie.

His wording was also noteworthy. He didn't address any specific things Summer herself should do to avoid being tracked down, but interestingly enough brought in Qrow to keep watch over the woman. While he knew that the male Branwen had accepted with much difficulty that Summer decided to go for his close friend, the man was… trustworthy. He would keep a true guard over Summer and… avoid unpleasant accidents.

Still it was worth to consider that the very explicit request of not reaching out for this 'Bukharin' couldn't be accepted for the mere fact Raven was surely raising hell to find out where his aggressor and 'suitable companion' would be. He still shuddered at the memory of how things had unfolded back then, when Raven had voiced out her interest to have a 'serious spar' with him.

He had been particularly busy with some nasty paperwork back then and had been forced to refuse her demands, angering her and- Summer cheerfully replace him as the woman's sparring partner. The Branwen had appeared quite hesitant there but the Rose showed once more how convinced in her commitment was by sitting patiently in the middle of the arena, waiting for her partner to appear and fight.

Imagine passing near the arena to see how things were going and see a red-faced Raven Branwen trying to tackle down a panicking caped girl. Murder? There was any ill intention evident on the red-eyed beauty.

Only desire for- He jumped in action the moment the realization finished to sink in his brain, engaging in a brief skirmish with the sword-wielding woman and… winning. He had expected her to calm down that exact moment but…

He woke up few hours later, his clothes sparsely dropped on the floor just like Raven's. The Mistralian female straddling on his sweaty body as they both enjoyed the afterglow of the pleasant activities that made them… adults.

They married two months later, she gave birth to Yang seven months after the wedding and... she left them and went back to her tribe to rule them to… criminal activities.

While the proud woman had stated more than once that it was a law in the tribes, something that Qrow felt doubtful about when he heard about it, it was easy to understand what truly motivated this 'personal' rule of hers:  
1) Her opponent beat her while keeping some respect for her;  
2) She was impressed by his strength and capacity to win;  
3) Tenacity and Determination to survive in bad situations;  
4) She felt particularly 'intrigued' by her opponent;

And while there hadn't been a genuine fight between this 'Bukharin' and his former wife, Raven would quickly consider his survival an outstanding win. Especially since this individual lacked in terms of training.

Without wasting further time in rummaging through his thoughts, Taiyang made a call back home. Summer picking up as the Xiao Long explained her the letter and his own considerations. After few minutes of chatting on the matter, a small trip was planned in two days from now.

* * *

Raven Branwen was so close… and yet so far.

Tracking down the pesky young man that had managed to land a lucky shot on her was an easy task for someone of her capacity, but the place and the situation she had to deal with were not something her knowledge and experience could help much with. Menagerie was the only place she had never visited in her career as professional huntress and the tight security over the capital was surprisingly stronger than the one she had found in Atlas years ago.

Trying to keep a low profile while also keeping her sight on this 'John Bukharin' proved to be an interestingly difficult mission. Constantly monitored, stuck to the wheelchair and never going for places that would make it possible for her to take him away with one of her portals, the survivor was proving to be a good prey.

It was his overall attitude that made him difficult to predict. She would have expected him to appear scared, paranoid- and yet he looked… fine. There was no hint of fear in his features, at least not one she could associate with the brief exchange in the truck.

Her lower torso still stung at the powerful shotgun blast she had to tank in after landing the first, deadly blow. His words rung infuriatingly in her ears and the following crash on several trees didn't help in build up a proper inner image of this individual.

Hours passed again that day as she continued to monitor the Bank John had entered, his new work that, in her opinion, sounded incredibly dull and hardly-satisfying for someone with her mindset. Fighting doesn't mix well with paperwork, something that her foolish former husband had failed to understand in his first years at work as teacher in Signal Academy.

Stupid Taiyang and his stupid abs.

Anyway the opportunity happened right that day, the very day that the curious man had ditched his wheelchair and was walking calmly on his own. Trembling steps, his legs had yet to recover and he still showed a calm and composed face to this situation-

She had to drag down the mental smile that appeared at this intriguing development, a minor proof that he was somehow prideful on himself. A little pride was well-accepted in her opinion, especially when it failed to clash well with her own.

Following the classing routine, Bukharin left the bank and followed the Tiger Faunus, Sienna Khan, back to the small house he had claimed as his home._ His _children, having returned earlier from school, were quick to greet their surrogate father and… this very notion confused her.

Having let go of her family after realizing how dangerously attached to Ozpin her life would have been, Raven preferred her old tribe to that kind of predicament. To see someone willingly accept orphaned children as his own… brought some foul taste in her mouth.

Memories of how the previous leader had taken both her and her brother in the tribe as her children, how she had been the one to push them to seek training at Beacon Academy and then… decided to spar her for the control of the tribe.

The fight was surprisingly more difficult than she had imagined, the older female proving that experience can and will surpass any complex move one developed from theory and lone practicing. Yet she still won and… got a new responsibility. One that was simpler to rule as ruthlessly as her personality demanded.

After staring through the window as the usual dinner unfolded, her eyes widened the moment she saw the Faunus guard finally leave earlier than usual. Peeking at the retreating woman, Raven started to prepare her mind for the grand plan she had elaborated.

Once night fell on the capital of Menagerie, she entered through the open window that led to the living room in her avian form, her eyes darting between the closed doors as she remembered where the young man had gone last.

Flying quietly, she managed to pass through the small opening left by the semi-open door, her sight fixed on her prize. Sheets were covering his full form, even his face was hardly visible in that bundle and… she jumped in action.

Transforming back to human, she went to close the door as quietly as she could afford, tip-toeing back to the bed as she slowly moved away the cover from his face-

_Only to be greeted by the familiar barrel of a very, __**very**__ familiar shotgun._

His eyes were already open, he knew she was coming and… he had set up an ambush. And she had forgotten to bring a blade on her.

"Raven Branwen."

Even through facing insane odds and an unknown face, a small smile twitched on her face.

_**At least he knew who she was.**_

* * *

**AN**

**Dun, Dun, DUUUUUUN!**

**Raven is here! But now here is the big question: What will be her… personality in this particular case?**

**We saw her super-strict, strength-centered and very unfazed by family-related issues. But what about people she founds interesting as in 'interesting'?**

**And before anyone ask no, it's not **_**love**_** that drive Raven here. It's something more… sinful.**

**Lastly! I finally dropped a Jojo's story! The plot: A different Part 6… in the post-Eyes of Heaven finale. The settings? London, 2007; The protagonists? Jonathon Joy, Robert Speedwagon III and… a secret character! Want to know more? Find out in the story itself!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A! **

**Travisck****: Let's just say people have suffered like that in those situations… everywhere (minus the parents thing, I'm sorry). I can remember when things started to get 'pricey' and… I didn't have a pleasant stay in Elementary-LowerHighschool, mostly because teachers are underpaid and many children are spoiled (somehow) by their parents. If I have to be honest… Blake could at least enjoy a book. I would spend recess by staying in the classroom to finish the following day's homework. Life was… uneasy. Thank God, things got better after I left High School with a diploma. I'm sorry I brought some bad memories to you and other readers… I just wanted to highlight that ****_it might as well be a strong Canon possibility for Blake and Ilia._**

**OSR fanatic****: I am trying so hard to make a story without pairing and I get convinced by several kind people to make alterations. Even my short-attention span urge me to write pairings for frick's sake… xD**

**Gabe2000:**** The verb is 'paired' (coupled sounds awkward in English in this lexical case) and I don't know anymore! XD**

**ArchAngel319****: Thank you!**

**Guest (Chapter 8)****: Maybe.**

**AnCapBukharin****: Goddang Anarchists with their Goddang dreamy ideology, go back in Vicky 2, you rabble! (Only those who knows Paradox Interactive can understand).**


	10. The Lady In Red (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Fiction is the truth inside the lie."_** – Stephen King**

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Lady In Red (1)**

* * *

Today was going to be one of the worst days of my life and I AM considering this statement through before saying this.

After getting Raven tied up and kept her in the living room couch for the rest of the night, breakfast turned out to be quite the unusual affair as expected. The children were confused, Raven eyeing cautiously the dark-haired beauty with red eyes, knowing full well that the empty holster she was still donning could have held the very blade that had hurt me.

This reached me when he tugged my sleeve and asked if she was the 'bandit woman' that had attacked me, which I, with incredibly, answered with a 'yes'. Pink eyes drilled on the unfazed Branwen and Nora merely narrowed her eyes, blue orbs contemplating some retribution and…

**Whip**

It came in the most unexpected way. As I went to open the door to Sienna as per usual habit, I heard the distinct sound of something quick hitting something else. I then heard the sound of Raven falling with her chair on the ground thankfully still tied-up and a snarl directed at the smug-looking Valkyrie.

The orange-haired girl was holding a small wet towel and the trembling on the bandit's left leg suggested that the suffering party was her shin. I was almost pitying her at this point, a 'proud warrior' being belittled by a child no older than 7 and unable to retaliate because of situations.

The tiger faunus joined us in the living room, stared at the fallen woman and then she looked at me with a quizzical look. I sighed and moved to carefully pick Raven off the floor and back up.

"Thank you, husband."

I grimaced at the nickname I've been suffering for a whole night, having to keep guard over the non-sleeping Raven as she continued to talk during the whole time. We were both tired by that 'clash' and I wouldn't be shy to get some hours of sleep after she is safely taken away by the rest of team STRQ.

What would happen to her after that wasn't my concern as for now I preferred to keep away from the 'main plot' until I got enough resources and the possibility of going nuclear on Salem and whoever could be considered dangerous for the world. Much Punisher? Frank Castle got things done well and quickly back in the Marvelverse.

Maybe I will not pull a One-Man Army with how I suck in most of combat-related things, but I sure was going to go full Vietnam when the fortuitous case would arrive. It was a 'when', not an 'if'.

Anyway, after getting the two kids going for school, Sienna and I faced the surprisingly calm-looking Branwen. Woman was still sporting the dark bags under her eyes after the small all nighter she had wanted to pull on both of us and no, I know the innuendos coming from some of my sentences, she was tied on the couch and my brain was dying as I kept sitting on a very sturdy chair of wood.

"So she thinks you are… married?" I nodded at the Faunus' attempt to summarize the reasoning of the dangerous woman. "After she literally stabbed you in the arm, almost sawing it off?"

"That is correct-"

"We are married by the tribe's rules." She rebuked with a serious tone.

"Rules that are enacted within the tribe, not outside of it." I snapped back as my mind was connecting this situation to a very curious group of stories I had read in the past.

The shotgun-wedding, I didn't dislike them. At least I didn't until things just escalated quickly and they stopped without updating and… my brain hurt. Like seriously why would someone forsake me to this!?

"If this is about the children, I can assure you that I will treat them as my heirs and train them personally-"

"Wait, what?!" Okay, timeout! What was that? Raven Branwen ready to 'sacrifice' her freedom for the sake of respecting some tribal rules? This was an AU or a divergence, wasn't it?

_I mean, aren't we meant to NOT be in RWBY to start with?_

"The girl seems to have more potential, but I think the boy was holding back and-"

"The answer is still no and- Seriously, you aren't going to be near my kids, _Branwen_."

My tone turned fiery and my logic was fading a little. As someone that love my family to the utmost, to know that someone that had ditched her own daughter and her family for the sake of not dealing with Ozpin wanted to speak of 'treating children' well in front of me was something that didn't sit well in my chest.

Sienna gave me a confused look and I decided to explain. "So how long since you have seen your little daughter, Raven. Bet she doesn't even call you 'mother' at this point."

Surprising me even more she snarled at the baiting, as if she truly 'cared' for her child.

**She did care at some extent for Ms. Xiao Long, but I guess my proximity to her rendered contacting my student quite difficult, if not impossible.**

_Always at fault here and there, shouldn't that be telling something?_

**I think it means I would murder for some coffee.**

_Goddammit, Ozpin!_

"You don't know-" "OH, I DO!" I shouted louder than her, bringing the shotgun mere inches from her face. "I know what you did and _why_ you did that, but the fact you left you own blood behind is disgusting! You are her mother and the girl will always think that she could be the real fault from your departure-"

"But I am not!-"

"And how do you think she would know that? Even if Summer and Taiyang tell her that, she will always have that doubt _until _she finds you and gets the truth out of you, the easy way or the painful one."

Raven grew quiet for a moment, then she tried to fight back. "She will be too soft-"

"With the need of protecting _her_ family, she will be a powerful huntress by the time she leaves Beacon, certainly stronger than you."

Through the shocked expression I could spot a glint of pride at the words, knowing that part of her motherly feelings were there. A very small bit around the prideful character she had built on herself. "And I suggest one last thing, Branwen." I decided to conclude this altogether. "I will make sure your team will reach Menagerie the quickest possible and get you off my hands."

She squirmed in the ropes but those were too many and too tight for her to break through, aura-enchanted strength or not.

"Sienna." The woman turned to look at me, looking quite taken by my brief moment of anger. "Could you contact Chieftain Lavana? I don't wish this development to be learned out as a personal surprise than one of his trusted guards reporting in."

She nodded quickly and went for her radio to call out her superior but as she did so I remember another thing. "Also if you could get two extra guards. I need someone to keep her monitored while I am work-"

"I am not going to hurt you!" The Branwen tried and failed to impress that notion, her blush failing to take into notice what 'hurt' was and was not. Seriously, could this get any better?

Yep, I was trying to jinx some good situation now as this was certainly grating on my poor mind and I needed to go and do what I liked the most. Die from boredom on some paperwork and do my effing job at the Bank.

Normality, I needed some good normality in my life.

* * *

The school in Kuo Kuana was a large complex of territory and a single large building housing the institution that educated the local children of Menagerie. Subjects were mostly practical, to address the need of manpower to have a workforce available to keep the small nation going and scientific subjects like Math, Science and Technical Drawing were not worth much in the overall grade system.

Yet small little girl that was Ilia Amitola was not deterred from pursuing her happy hobby. Drawing was something that sent her away from the unpleasant situation back home and gave her a world to create.

Sure, her parents were mostly out in trying to get some stable job at Menagerie, the situation regarding job hiring was a complicated thing altogether, but that didn't deprive her from the cold that would reach her little boy once she returned home and… found no one waiting for her.

It was the usual, but it still left her bitter. But to what in particular? Bitter at life, or at something more concrete and closer? Her simple mind could grasp this and… she 'escaped' from Menagerie with her own stories and characters, getting best endings that let her float in the sky for more than just a moment.

Yet school restricted this as she had to study and learn to become… smarter and… capable of getting a proper future prepared by herself and for herself only.

It was… cynical. Yes, that was the word she had read from her current vocabulary, the one she was using to write down her newest story. Stories of fantasy, stories of reality, stories of wrong and right.

Writing and drawing were her tools to color her bleak day and… things changed when she met Lie Ren. The boy was human, something rare in the reality she had lived filled by only faunus children, and he was someone that she could talk with without getting all flustered and confused about.

A good individual to speak to but… he seemed to be always sad. Not terribly sad, he showed some happiness here and there but he would stop a moment during pauses from lessons to stare at his desk, contemplating about something she knew nothing about.

He had a cousin, Nora, which was a female human completely the opposite of Ren. Overly-friendly, spending most of her time socializing and 'driving' the class to her. It was amusing, just like some of the protagonists she had drafted from her unrealistic concepts and yet… she was there and existed.

A curious development that led Ilia to ask from the boy more about them and why they were in Menagerie, ending up to get some answers and more. The two 'siblings' were from Mistral, from a settlement that had been attacked by the Grimm and forced them to flee.

Their current caretaker and legal guardian, John Bukharin, took them in and managed to get them to where the White Fang had settled for few days before returning from a mass protest campaign. Fast-forward, they were enrolled to the school and started to study in her classroom.

Their story was impressive, something that seemed to have come out from a book and… she liked it. To think that someone that lived the rare tale of uncommon was… awe-inducing.

Then she learned that their 'parent' was also good with writing. It was something that Ren muttered when the girl had told him about her drawings and written stories, alluding to the fact this Mr. Bukharin had indeed gone and made a hobby about it before settling in Kuo Kuana.

This little discovery meant a lot for the young chameleon faunus and soon she planned a way to help her parents. She was sure her drawings and stories were worth of something and, if she managed to get an expert to the case… maybe she could help her family.

It was a complex plan that required some timing and proper study of her 'target'. The man worked for the local bank and went to work just after the beginning of school, leaving it only two-to-three hours after the end of the school. This gave her a window of opportunity of few hours to truly act and…

It happened. Another day at school passed, enjoying the chats with Ren and staring as Nora went to make some funny jokes and plays with fellow classmates. Writing notes, listening to the lessons and… the bell rang.

Her smile widened as she took her old school bag and almost skipped through the hallway to leave the classroom. Without wasting much time, Ilia ventured through the streets of the capital she had explored very little, but still managed to recognize after so long she went in those places.

The walk was uneventful and she paused few times when there were large crowds blocking the passage. Soon she found herself staring at the building where John Bukharin worked in. Several men wearing suits went in and out, looking professional and formal with their stances and walking.

Her minuscule frame and her simple dress a sore spot in the sea of gray, black and dark-blue. She moved decisively, going forward and toward the large counted deep in the room, the cartel above hit with 'Receptionist' written on it suggesting that the person assigned there could help her.

She reached it and stared up as a young woman with lynx ears turned at her with a small smile. "Hello there, little one. Are you there with your parents?"

Ilia was tempted to not reply to the stranger but… she had to ask questions to someone. "No."

"Oh? Then are you here for some 'work'?"

The girl frowned at the strange tone at the end of the question and she decided to speak about her business. "I-I am here to speak with Mr. Bukharin."

The older faunus blinked in surprise. "You mean John Bukharin?"

A nod and the woman frowned. "Can you tell me how do you know him?"

Ilia nodded. "I am friend with Ren."

The receptionist seemed to hum in, her eyes half-closed in concentration before she realized what the girl was talking about. "You mean his adoptive son?"

Another nod. "And why would you need his help? Something happened to Ren?"

"No." She replied quickly, her patience thinning dangerously at this point. She needed to talk to him, nothing else, and yet the woman was annoying her with so many questions. "I need to show him my writing."

The lynx faunus nodded slowly. "Your… writing?"

"I need to talk to him." She finally pressed and the older female sighed.

"I will see to find him and… hopefully he will have some good explanation for this." She reached for her phone and called a number Ilia couldn't she from where she was. The woman waited a moment before the caller picked up.

"Bukharin, there is a classmate of your son Ren wanting to speak with you."

…

"No, she said nothing had happened to him and that she wanted to show you her writing and- Yes, understood."

The call ended and the girl looked hopefully at the woman- "He said he is coming soon."

Eyes glowed in glee at this. That meant that she was one step closer to help her family!

Few moments later a slightly tall human paced out of one of the various hallways and walked towards the receptionist's counter. His eyes fell on her and widened in surprise and recognition.

"I think you are… Ilia, right?" She nodded surprised. "Ren spoke well of you. Said that you like to draw and-" "A-And write." She blinked before looking down, her outburst caused by her excitement. "S-Sorry."

"No problem, kid. Just tell me what you needed to tell me." The girl didn't spoke. Instead she pulled several papers out of her school bag and extended those at the curious man. "I- I want to publish this."

… "Uh?"

* * *

While Ilia Amitola had been one of the most recent character integrated to the Volumes, her backstory wasn't completely evolved. Only some points were mentioned, like the fact her parents would have to work in Atlas' mine for years to get their girl to study well in the upper citadel, that they would die because of a cave-in and ushered the girl in the aggressive faction of the White Fang.

Not much was expanded on the fact that, even through money mattered a 50% of the tuition, Atlas' schools wanted intelligent children in their classroom. Intelligent enough to study quickly topics and ace exams without problems.

Considering this simple notion, I don't think it would be difficult to explain that, this little two-years old 'book' was by far the best thing I had read from someone her age… ever. While grammar was still lacking and some punctuation needed some changing, the massive story created there was…

Incredibly good. I wouldn't call it a grand masterpiece, but I would be an utter moron to not see the good deal of descriptions and characterizations used in there. Childish in some aspect, but never too much 'on the face' and… I liked it.

The story of Fantasy, which surprisingly was nothing like the ones from the 'real world', was something that could seriously sell big-time with the proper editor and… I closed the book as I glanced at the patiently waiting child.

The fact that she had also drawn her own illustrations of some of the scenes of the story further showed the powerful potential hiding in her. An interesting detail of her character that the authors could have been kind enough to add to the plot.

The surprise was pleasant sure, but the delivery was a little too shocking to be good. Still I nodded at her and she smiled widely at my reaction.

"This work will require some corrections but… I think it could sell… a lot."

"R-Really?" I nodded again and placed it on the table, pushing it on the opposite side, where the child was sitting.

"I know that it might sound incredible but… what you did here is possibly the… craziest thing I have ever seen. The attention to the details and the loyalty to keep some characters keep their personalities without any major change-inducing events is truly great."

Her eyes watered and I groaned as I was going to see another child cry in front of me.

"Still this is going to take a lot of time as I need to find the editor willing and free to produce this, without any scamming contract between the lines."

"T-That is… good for me."

"And I will also have to tell your parents." She stiffened a little, surely trying to not bring her father and mother on this situation but… I bet they will be proud at what their daughter had achieved.

Ready or not, Remnant, you are getting your own version of… Stephen King. Only she is a child and incredibly shy.

* * *

**AN**

**Ilia the daring, Ilia the super-chibi and Ilia the adorkable girl. Yes, I know that it might be sound strange… until Blake Character Show is taken into account. Atlas is a no-nonsense kind of nation and I bet their education had some of the strictest rules, even regarding enrolling people.**

**Knowing that Ilia had to have been incredibly smart to not only enter one of the schools but also keep up with the standards imposed there, I wouldn't be that much wrong in thinking she… is very smart. A prodigy even.**

**Why she doesn't show this in the series? Well I think I can use one of Jojo (No, it's not a meme) character: Fugo Pannacotta. The character is hailed as a genius in his background but, after facing some bad hands from fate, he is forced to deal with real life without the chance of refining his intelligence. It is still there, but Ilia didn't have the means nor the will to go and improve on that.**

**Also trying to humanize Raven after the series failed that. Why do I say that? Well, do you realize that Volume 3 was going to have more Raven after Volume 2? It's not much of a theory, but a well-known thing that Monty was the one that put Raven at the end of Volume 2 as he had planned a large part of Volume 3 to expand upon her relationship with Yang. Would it have fitted then with Volume 4? Yep. Without that it literally left little development, much confusion and lots of anger.**

**I don't think anymore that bringing up Monty's name will create some proper image to what is right. He is resting peacefully, let him rest. If change has to happen, it will be from those who are alive and working on the series.**

**Do I expect them to pull some miracles on the next Volume? The story was ruined by Volume 3 by cutting so much details and adding too much shipping to this. Ships could have been explained by those scenes they had removed but they did like a funny non-copyrighted song on YT:**  
**Money, money, money, give it all to me. Money, money, money, give it all to me.**

**P.S. Ranting a lot but after a while I needed to express the reasons that fuel this fandom to produce good stories in an attempt to 'escape' from the real deal. I love RWBY 1-2, but they screwed up so much with too much shipping.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Travisck****: Yet Ozma ability was given by the God of Creation, thus it cannot 'technically' be a dark technique. Ruby is hardly speaking right now and I don't plan to traumatize any children, that I do leave to Couer with Relic of the Future (JK it's a good story and I am disappointed that people whined about the fight with Hazel). I think Raven's idea of 'Strength is everything' to be just a concept she created to justify her actions. None of her tribes practice that and I think it is just a self-imposed excuse left for her mind to fight of some guilt at her choices. Will I make her instant-good? No, but it can be worked upon.**

**Disabled-doctor****: There is a schedule in my bio and all stories get an update every two weeks. (I have 12+ active stories).**

**Logist****: This SI story is meant to avoid all cliché because… I am the SI. I mean, many use OC-I masked as SI so… I am pretty crazy and know the clichés to avoid.**


	11. The Lady In Red (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Wait long enough, and people will surprise and impress you__."_** – Randy Pausch**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Lady In Red (2)**

* * *

Summer Rose hummed as the ship finished to dock to the tropical-like island of Menagerie, little Ruby sleeping blissfully in her arms as Yang enjoyed her own napping with her father. Qrow was staring as the workers from the ship and the dock started to finish the preparations for the people to finally leave.

It has been an interesting trip the one that took her and what was left of her team from Patch to the small semi-nation ruled by Faunus. Lots of fun around as the kids were enjoying their first time away from home and their first moments with a swimming pool.

While the local beaches of their hometown were incredibly beautiful and they had been given the chance of visiting those more than once, trying the swimming pool was a different experience altogether.

Her little Rose was so happy to play with water without the 'itchy' sand around and Yang was finally given by her father the first lesson to swimming. The blonde was skeptical at first, but almost turned in a fish with how eager she was with the whole concept of racing with her old man and her mother-

A sigh left her mouth as her silver eyes looked at the medium-sized capital with a sliver of concern. What if Raven had already hit? What if she was long gone and their efforts were all in vain?

Eyes closing as she craved for some little rest, her wishes were partly crushed by Qrow poking at her forehead, smiling as he was met with a pout from her.

"Sorry, Sums, but you need to be up and ready when we will catch my dumb sister."

Her lips curled in a small, tired smile as a yawn flied out of her. "Sure, but you are holding her. Last time… was kind of weird."

Raven had always been aggressive when being hold down by any member of her team, but Summer was a special case as the female Branwen found that there were simple ways to bother a fellow woman.

Things that for now were better kept silent and away from the public, her mind wandering back to the workers, now making way for the first wave of tourists to leave.

"It's time to go and face our little 'friend'." Taiyang muttered as he got up, Yang still sleeping in his arms as he led the way to the main entrance of the ship and through the docks of Kuo Kuana, the city being the major center of the entire community of Faunus in Remnant.

People with cat-, dog-, fox-, etch- ears and other curious appendages that were normally spotted in animals, but looked completely human… as those were humans in her eyes, with logic, heart and soul.

Their first stop was the postal office in the city, the place where it was the easiest to find people that have made use of letters and packages. A state-owned company, the receptionist was kind enough to sign down an appointment with one of the consultants available for this little search, bringing proof that they 'knew' the sender.

Few minutes later they were swooped inside the office of a young woman with antelope ears twitching in her ears once in a while, looking very formal but friendly at first impressions and Summer was glad that her assumption was correct when she was given quite quickly a chronology of the packages sent to her, with all the details on it.

She looked at the address of the sender, Taiyang giving glances at the small map of the city he had brought from a tourist standpoint they had found along the way and signed down the interested house.

Thanking the helpful woman, their next stop was their most important as they didn't waste time to alert the individual that had repelled Raven the first time of the possible repercussions of this situation.

Reaching a small-sized house, compared to their own back at Patch, Qrow decided to be the one knocking at the door as his teammates were busy with the children. Someone from within said 'Here, a moment' as footsteps reached for the entrance and the door was opened to reveal-

A wide-eyed young man. Short, dark-brown hair, black glasses and quite the unshaven beard that reminded them of Qrow. He was wearing a single sleeveless shirt and baggy gym pants as he seemed to have woken up just now from the tired look on his face.

"Oh." His lips turned in a thin line as he seemed out of words for their sudden appearance and Summer couldn't but snort amused at his confused reaction. This simple act warranted him frowning at her and the woman couldn't but look away from his accusatory glance.

"John Bukharin?" The Branwen finally asked, the shock about the age of their mysterious friend subsiding.

"T-That is me." He made way. "P-Please enter?"

Taiyang nodded and entered first, ignoring the skeptical look from his brother-in-law, and the older Rose followed closely as they were met with a surprisingly spacious living room with kitchen incorporated.

Yet there was one element that wasn't usual for a simple house like the one they had just entered into. Staring wide-eyed as her eyes were fixed on them, Raven Branwen looked like a deer caught in headlights.

She was tied down with some rope on a chair, in front of her sitting on a couch a tiger-faunus woman, keeping a partial stare over their former teammate while also studying the new arrivals.

"It… would seem like he didn't need any warning at all." Taiyang commented with some cheek, but while they expected to have some introduction and explanation now that they were in, their little peace was broken by the sudden loud cry of a little child.

Ruby Rose had just woken up and her first sight? The scary-looking Raven Branwen.

* * *

As Ruby continued to cry in her mother's hold, I finally managed to 'wake up' from my shock at seeing STQ of team STRQ knocking at my door in a Saturday morning.

I was pretty tired, the chat with Ilia's parents ending in a positive tone as they accepted that I took her as an apprentice and kind of babysat her while they did their best to find jobs, kind of surprised at their daughter's innate capacity to write good stories.

It was going to be a long process and I had to state multiple times that it wasn't something that required some salary for my case as I was doing it for the sake of 'writing'. Seriously, I wasn't that greedy to force poor people to pay for something that should be genuinely explored and refined to create a precious diamond out of the rough piece.

Returning back to the current situation, I invited the three to take a seat on the large couch as I went to prepare some breakfast. Taiyang and Sienna asked for simple coffees while I was kind of surprised when the rest asked for some chocolate-milkshake.

Little Yang, still with her twin-tailed comb, seemed surprise at the unknown house she just woke up into but her attention shifted away from the initial confusion when the sweet desert was mentioned, her hand lifting quite fast as the words sunk in her brain.

I blinked at the full predicament and just realized something very interesting and amusing. This was STRQ trying to work as a family and showing still some inability for those new duties. It was not glaring, but still visible and Raven was still doing nothing, so I cannot say for sure she would do well with Yang or not.

As I prepared the massive amount of cups for the task of satisfying the bellies of everyone present and the two kids still sleeping in their room, I yawned as I finished the first batch and handed the results of my handiwork to Qrow, Summer and the two children.

Ruby had the most amusing of reactions, her cry long subdued but her eyes shining brightly at the familiar smell of chocolate and milk, her mouth latching on the straw connected with the cup and starting to drink the content almost instantly.

Yang followed by humming as she drank the content of her own cup.

Summer and Qrow were surprised at the delicious taste of the beverage, even the Branwen had been shocked by how good it was and, since this compliment came from a known drunkard, I think I can say that it had to be dang good!

Much to the surprise of the present ones, I had also brought the cup for Raven to drink from the straw, my shotgun being held in my free hand as I prepared for any funny business with the tribe's leader.

She behaved well, showing no weird attitude in drinking the content of the cup just like she had done in the past two days. What kind of weird? The 'not-for-kids' kind of weird.

Offering the two cup of coffee to Taiyang and Sienna I returned to the two remaining cups and turned at the huntsmen. "I am going to wake up the kids and… I will be back soon".

I ignored the confused looks as I went to knock softly at one of the door and entered the room quietly. Nora shifted in her bed while Ren slowly opened his pink eyes at him, staring at the cups and nodding as he sat on his bed, ready to accept his chocolate-milk.

Giving him the cup and some tissue to clean his mouth, I moved towards the still slumbering girl and let out a soft whistle. It was something mom would do to wake me and- _my sister down._

_My little sibling would groan and try to sleep the entire morning, failing against mom's stubborn determination of having us wake up in a 'healthy hour'._

"Dad?"

I blinked as blue eyes turned at me, holding now an empty cup in her hands.

I chuckled nervously. "O-Only a day-dream, sweetie."

She nodded slowly, her worried look didn't vanish as I moved to pick Ren's cup and returned by the door and turned at them.

"We have some guests. I wish to see some good behavior from both of you, okay?"

A collective nod, I was glad they understood the situation and went to open the door and bring the two cups to the dishwasher, then went to collect the others and did the same.

"So you are alone with this… all?" I glanced at Summer, her head peeking from the couch and nodded. "Really? No one else?"

"Having learned to do this stuff just last year. Mom wanted me to be ready before letting me go."

"Oh." She grew a little quiet at that, possibly because she had some issues with her own parents, but Taiyang took it as a chance to continue the discussion.

"So you learned pretty recently. Had to be rough."

I nodded. "Quite, I was atrocious in doing laundry for two months, then I got things right."

"I remember trying to fix my own laundry back at Beacon. That machine was cursed-"

"Or maybe you just can't work around devices, Tai." Qrow joked at the expenses of his friend but the blond man smiled even more.

"You weren't much better. Am I right, Sums?" The woman smiled innocently, but I could see the teasing forming up in her mind.

So she opened her mouth-

"Qrow was incredibly dumb with the washing machine. I remember him getting his entire wardrobe pink once because he couldn't understand why colored clothes had to not be mixed with white ones."

Raven's little tale was met with a giggle with Summer and the surprised look from Taiyang and Qrow. The moment of silence that followed was briefly interrupted as a yawning Nora walked out of her room, followed by Ren.

Silver eyes shifted to the two children and the older Rose squealed in glee at the two unsuspecting kids. "They look so cute!"

The Valkyrie smiled widely. "Thank you, pretty lady."

Yang slowly moved off the couch and stood in front of the two new individuals and tilted her head on the side. "I am Yang."

The orangette smiled widely. "I am Nora annnnd!" She pulled the boy close. "This is Ren!"

He waved at the blonde and she nodded with a small smile.

"Do you want to play?" The young Xiao Long opened her mouth to reply but she stopped to look at Ruby. Her young sibling blinked at her and clapped her hands at her, spitting out her pacifier while repeating the same word.

"'Ang! 'Ang!"

Summer giggled as she slowly set the five-years old Rose on the ground and let her slowly walk towards her sibling. Taking the smaller hand on her, Yang slowly led the smiling child to the room Nora and Ren shared, half-closing the door.

Just as I finished washing off the last cups, I turned around to see Raven sigh in relief as the children went in another room, causing me to mutter quietly. "Of course you would be relieved of that.."

Maybe it wasn't soft as a whisper, as red eyes quickly snapped my direction with a surprised glint I knew she had heard me and, seeing her turn so suddenly at me, the rest of the group had their attention on me.

"So… I guess this isn't a mere visit of courtesy." They nodded as I took a seat near Sienna, the woman assuming a little more her role of guard than the one of minder seeing the situation required more of the former than the latter.

"You seemed to know a lot about us and… Ozpin." I nodded at Qrow's words, glancing at my legs as I waited for the question.

"Why did you help us?" Summer's question pierced beyond my initial preparation for the interrogation as it went quite off-board right at the beginning.

"Uh… What?" Silver eyes softened and she smiled at my confusion, maybe already knowing about it.

"You have this knowledge but, seeing that you have already settled away from Vale in general, you didn't keep things to yourself. Why did you want to help us?"

"Because it was the right thing, I guess?" I advanced quickly, stopping just a moment to elaborate. "I know Ozpin is mixed with some crazy stuff about the Grimm and- I don't know how far I can go about it-"

"Grimm have a Queen." Raven blurted without hesitation, drawing the shocked looks from the rest of her team.

I nodded. "Salem and her clique, yes." And their shock was now directed at me.

"Y-You know about that?" Taiyang asked with a light stutter, it had to be surprising that someone out of the chessboard knew this much of the 'game'.

"I know about the Maidens and the real connection between the Headmaster and Salem."

"That sounds quite interesting and- real connection?"

I sighed at Summer's noticing my little word-play, but decided to see if I could garner their trust. "Ozpin was once married with Salem."

"That sounds far-fetched-" "Like magic, dear brother?"

Qrow scowled at Raven's mocking tone but I was already explaining the 'relationship' between the two individuals.

"We are currently on the second _or _third wave of humanity. In the previous ones there were other Kingdoms and Grimm were less than now. Why they started to get more and aggressive? Salem tried to bring her beloved back to life and got the Gods going ham at each other."

"Gods? You mean The Brothers?" I nodded at Taiyang but Qrow sighed skeptical at the whole situation.

"This is ridiculous. Gods? What proof do you have of their existence?"

"The relics." Silence ruled for a while as the cocky front the Branwen had tried to put on collapsed at the mere mentioning of the very objects Ozpin had to have mentioned more than once to them.

"But why would she be angry at humanity?" The Rose questioned with some confusion, the story incomplete and long thus.. I decided to deliver an abridged version of it.

"Well, Ozzie got resurrected, they ruled humanity for a while and had four kids, then when Salem discovered their kids had magic she had some fit as she felt threatened about this."

"So she attacked the kids?" There was a protective note in Taiyang's voice but he frowned as I shook my head negatively.

"Quite the opposite. Ozpin tried to pull a Raven with his kids." A groan left the mentioned woman's mouth. "Sadly he got caught and died for the second time to give times for the children to run away from Salem."

"So it's literally a badly-handled divorce situation?" Qrow cracked with some amusement and I nodded with a chuckle. "Seriously? Maybe that is why Oz is that embarrassed of talking about it."

Summer giggled and smiled widely. "Now that makes Rae looks good when comparing the two situations."

"_I am still here, Summer_."

Ignoring the groaning from the tied down woman, I decided to pipe in with my own teasing.

"I mean, Raven at least didn't cause the end of the world… but I think she is still hunted down from those she is trying to avoid."

"Damn right you are, mister!" Summer replied so eagerly and everyone took a chuckle… minus Raven.

I could see her face reddening in fury, the woman shaking the more teasing was added to the previous ones and then I realized why one shouldn't anger Raven Branwen.

I was in the middle of another fun comeback when – **SNAP** – The sound was quick, but the paranoia had urged me to keep an eye over the captive rogue huntress and I barely turned in time as-

**CHU!**

I blinked once, then twice, finally my brain rebooted as I felt her legs crossing and bringing out chests close and-

_I could feel the chocolate and milk… dangit-_

Summer 'eeped' as Taiyang and Qrow moved together to try and wrestle the woman away from me. The kiss was a desperate one, but the emotion was there, **the passion was there**.

Sienna joined the struggle, helping the two men and slowly pulling Raven away from me and then-

She smiled as she was pulled away completely, licking her lips and saying just one word as she was tied once more in that chair. One word that sent some heavy shivers on my back.

"**Mine~**."

* * *

**AN**

**So it would seem like Raven got her first victory. I had not portrayed Sienna's reaction because… next chapter some girl-fighting? Something similar.**

**Also I wonder if I should bring this up buuuuuuut-**

**Some people have told me that without the chub I might look like some relative to Summer so imagine their initial surprise at my appearance. I don't have silver eyes, but from my understanding of the lore, it isn't something truly generational in a family.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Travisck****: Ilia is going to become a grand author, let me tell ya! Also Raven now has the chance to clear her name while… trying more for MC's V-Card.**


	12. The Lady In Red (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn't mercy.__."_** – Timothy Keller**

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Lady In Red (3)**

* * *

If someone asked to Sienna Khan what was the one thing that had shocked her the most in her career as part of the Menagerie's militia and rising official of the White Fang, her blunt reply would be two simple words.

John Bukharin.

A young man, just a little younger to her if she had to be honest, that seemed to hold secrets about everything and everyone. A human that defied the concept of humans she had long been having ever since _that_ particular year of her life.

It has been so long and the tiger faunus had expected to have learned everything to know about humans. Monster in civil disguise, ready to pull the pettiest but also most pragmatic of attitudes for the sake of flaunting their innate 'intelligence' compared to Faunus.

When she first saw the terrified, glass-wearing idiot with two children behind him, she had expected some case of trickery, an attempt to slowly coax her to drop the guard and exploit any information he could garner, for the survival of his wards and his own.

Her initial assumptions… proved to be partly correct. Actually she had to admit that what the young man lacked in muscles and brawn was redeemed by his keen mind and careful planning, his boss actually praising the determination of the lone human in that island of Faunus in dealing with the paperwork, ending up to ask for overtimes just to increase a little his wage.

The small house might be small and the current prospect of expanding weren't truly positive in this first few months, but under some heavy questioning John admitted to his grand plan during his stay. Make the house something modest and acceptable to live in with so many people around.

She knew that, albeit still young and naive, the two children would have to get some proper rooms for each other, as to preserve the need of privacy that would rise when they reached an older age.

It was a long-term and ambitious plan she could go around and understand, while also she could see why he would point out the curious economic issue he found during his first days of work.

His reasoning wasn't one of patriotism, which she would have abhorred for the fact he wasn't born from Menagerie and that he had little time spent there, but one relative to the integrity of his job.

He wasn't doing out of passion, but out of duty and, while Sienna would have preferred to have a Faunus point it out for the first motivations, she was still glad this anomaly was caught before harm could truly have been done.

Yet Sienna has to be honest about a very small detail she wouldn't never tell to anyone, not even to her most trusted aide or ally.

While their personalities tended to clash once in a while and their overall mentalities diverged from each other, she couldn't but be glad to have ended up dealing with a human like him.

The relationship wasn't one of friendship, or at least she hoped it wasn't, but if she had to pick a single individual in a group of humans that included John, she would quickly pick him and have around.

A place where to crash? He would offer it to her without demanding anything.

A plate of delicious food even through she would try and fail to politely decline? He would go out of his way to prepare an extra portion.

She was there to keep an eye on him by orders of the Chieftain of Menagerie, and yet John would treat her like part of some family group.

He didn't treat her like he did with the children, but he wouldn't shy away from ask if she was okay or not. It was a behavior which wasn't normal for someone meant to be in some pseudo house-arrests.

It was that peculiar day that brought up the true meaning of their relationship, as he decided to confide what he knew about the world and the 'future' to a group of Hunstmen that were supposed to take in the woman, Raven Branwen, back to Vale to be prosecuted there.

It was odd to know that the dangerous bandit leader had been part of Vale's Hunter Corps, and yet the two men and woman that were there in the living room proved the truthfulness of that fact.

The shocking revelation that he knew about the future of those around him? She was glad the children, both his and the ones that came with the group of hunters, were stuck away from this discussion.

Dumbfounded at this discovery, she didn't reply at first, contemplating if the young man would give some insight about _her_ future. Will she become the leader of the Fang just like she wanted? Will she see Faunus obtain their long-deserved freedom?

There was so much storming within her mind and yet she couldn't formulate anything, not even a small query as the talk diverted to a more teasing and provoking situation regarding the predicament that Raven Branwen was experiencing.

A terrible act that ended up bringing quite the dreadful sight in the form of the criminal latching on John and stealing a kiss out of him.

Now Sienna would have merely scoffed at the scene if she hadn't been around the young human for so long, yet the moment she watched this whole sight unfold, something twisted painfully in her chest as she joined the intervention of the two men to separate the woman from young man, his face forming a shocked expression at the act.

Sudden anger flared at this deceitful act and then, if the injury wasn't enough, the Branwen smugly added the insult to it all. "Mine~."

A low guttural sound started to make way through her throat as Sienna mustered every single particle of killing intent present in her body. It was a claim, one over she was slowly getting soft around, which he wasn't appreciating.

He didn't want it, he didn't ask it and **yet she still went ahead with her greedy demands.**

It was burned in her head, how this reminded way too much what happened to her back then and-

Red bore into golden slit-eyes.

The smug was vanished, replaced by a challenging glare that was slowly increasing her inner fury, barely held back by her own logical side.

Then she felt her hand taken in a soft hold, a squeeze ceasing her thinking as it comfortably tried to bring her back to reality. The noise in her throat stopped and she looked back to find John staring at her with a confused look, a worried glint visible to her now highly-attentive sight.

The tiger faunus gulped quickly and crouched, starting to help the young man up as he blinked in surprise at what was going on.

"A-Are you alright?"

The question felt hypocritical, especially since the one asking should be her and the one answering should be him!

"I am." She conceded as she knew that bickering over such situation would only get her some headache. "How are you?" Her tone assumed a more demanding note but he still nodded, seemingly ignoring the edge on her words and accepting the helping arm to get him near the kitchen area.

The woman, Summer, walked up to them and asked politely for a glass of water and they shared a moment of quiet recovery, the caped woman glancing first at John and back at her, confusion painted in her face.

Sienna looked away, not for any embarrassment, but for the sake of not giving wrong hints at the quiet human woman that was Summer Rose.

As the three finished, the young man picked two other glasses with water and walked to the two men, Taiyang Xiao Long and Qrow Branwen, offering them the drink.

The blond accepted while the brother of the Bandit declined with a simple 'No'.

Few moments later, they were once more sitting in the living room, the tiger faunus deciding to stick closer to John to avoid… any unnecessary issue once more.

She sighed as she relaxed on the soft back-space of the couch, listening once more as the Bukharin spoke once more.

* * *

That was… unexpected.

**Ms. Branwen has always been that much brazen with everyone. I guess you have turned out to be her newest victim.**

_I think I could have gone without it. I mean, I can still taste chocolate and Alcohol- HOW DID SHE EVEN GOT HOLD OF BEER!_

**The fridge?**

_I don't have beer in my fridge._

**Then the security assigned to her is lacking.**

_B-but I- You know what? Nope, I'm not dealing with this._

**Having trouble, Mr. Bukharin? Or do you prefer your real name-**

_Can it, Ozma! I don't need empty talks about morals you don't have yourself._

"So… that was-"

"Very awkward." My attention snapped at Taiyang, the man giving an understanding look. "I feel you."

Qrow merely nodded as he continued to slouch on his couch.

"But I have to ask now, what do you want to do with Raven?" Insensible? A little, but I think the funny moments were long gone now and now some seriousness was needed.

The man blinked, humming as he thought about it as the aforementioned woman glanced raptly at him, waiting for him to show any 'weakness' even through, in that little play of his, it was easy to see he was through.

**I don't think so. Mr. Xiao Long is still the romantic man that chased after her.**

_I am certain that your point is missing a very crucial detail that makes him strong enough to break off with her._

**Truly? Will you explain-**

"I want to have an official divorce and I want her to give up her legal connection to Yang." He nodded, gaining the surprise from both Summer and Qrow.

"I think it's time to be honest and… say that this isn't right. I want Yang to grow with a mom that is here." He looked at Summer. "I want you to be there for her, for them- I want Ruby and Yang to grow together, as sisters."

The older Rose was slowly captured in his arms and hid her head in the embrace, trying to not notice the reaction of her former partner and friend.

Raven was fuming, eyes wide open trying to give the greatest of her hatred but… tears were flowing.

It was an odd sight to see the Branwen crying at that declaration, but I could bring some reason about it. As much as she denied it, she still cared and the searing pain of having someone like her husband finally bringing down the farce she had built upon her 'change of mind'.

If you break a toy, you have to pay it, soon or later and one way or another.

She didn't spoke, there was nothing to say and even Qrow decided to take some distance from her as she continued to sob. Summer was shifting in Taiyang's hold, but the man kept her stuck as he himself had his eyes directed at the caped woman.

Head slowly arching to stare at the ground, Raven tried and failed to bring an end to the reaction she was having over that news and, to be honest, I was being put in a metaphorical dilemma which I wanted to have nothing to do about.

**And yet you are fidgeting seeing Raven like this.**

_Not the moment-_

**Ladies shouldn't cry, isn't that what this is all about?**

…

**I might be a 'moron' about saving the world, Mr. Bukharin, but I can recognize the fact you are not liking having someone put in that state, even through you know they warranted it all.**

_Does that mean we are alike because of that then, Ozma?_

**That is sadly correct.**

I huffed, Sienna being the one noticing that I was certainly not finding this whole situation easy to bear through, eyes narrowing as she poked at me, right on my torso.

Eyes snapping at her, she rolled hers and turned at Raven and I connected the dots. "_I-It's not like that._" I whispered furiously.

"_She isn't worth it." _She whispered back.

I sighed and closed my eyes in deep thought. What to do? What to do?

**Nothing?**

_Funny! But we both know that is not what I feel to do!_

**You are an idiot-**

_I didn't let my Grimm wife take over the world for a while!_

**Nevermind, deal with it yourself then.**

This wasn't helpful and my conscience was getting pushy. Seriously, help a murderer to recover some familial break up? One that I supported to the fullest for Pete's sake!

But maybe the issue wasn't trying to bring comfort to the one that should have made her mind before dealing with this kind of situations, maybe it was something about the last remains of the conduct she was regretting.

"I am going to regret this but-" I sighed, adjusting myself in my spot in the couch. "Raven."

She ignored my voice, continuing with her sobbing and I knew that this wasn't going to be easy but… it had to be done.

Thus I stood up and walked to her and then proceeded to lift her face. Fingers under her chin, she blinked in surprise as she was slowly pulled to stare at my face as I gave her a bored look.

"Why?"

She blinked again, confusion working very well in making me almost flinch with the puffy eyes and the tear-stricken face. "W-What?" Her voice losing the signs of strength that once made it stern, now a broken note left her lips.

"Why did you leave?" I pressed my argument softly. "What did Ozpin do?"

She twitched in her seat. "I-I can't-"

"Raven, I know that Ozpin is a goddamn bastard." I stated calmly, ignoring the shock and surprise still coming off from the other three members of STRQ. "I don't think I need to prove anything to you after my little explanation about 'Why he is a frigging moron', but I need you to tell me-no, _us_ what forced you to make a run for it."

She fidgeted once more, then nodded. "F-Fine- but t-they wouldn't-"

"I swear to God almighty, I will drop hot fury if you don't answer that stupid question!"

Now I had the entire room's attention on me but I was too focused in what I was trying to pull here.

As much as I disliked Raven, I think that the best choice of action to avoid suicide – Yes, I do believe she would pursue that route without someone giving attention to this – having her face the past to the fullest. It was required because it would deal once for all to any lingering regrets.

"I-It was b-because he wanted- he wanted to send us all to the Grimmlands-"

"When-"

"A-A month after Yang was born!"

… "You mean to tell me-"

"H-He said that I didn't have a-a choice and- and that I would have been branded as a rogue a-and-"

"Ohi, stop-"

"N-No, I-" My hands pinched at her cheeks. "Ahi- _wanna twalk!"_

"You lost the privilege by hyperventilating this much." I stated quickly. "But I accept your reasoning, while still condemning the fact you should have trusted them more."

"Yeah, you fucked up-"

I snapped a glare at the drunkard. "Not the moment, Qrow."

He shrugged and I returned back to Raven, now turning into… the most docile face I have ever held in my hands- Actually this was the first time I did something like this that wasn't my sist-

_Okay, let us not digress unto painful homesickness._

"Look, I don't accept what you pulled by running away, nor how you decided to not face up the fact your team would have covered your back-" She looked down. "BUT!" Red eyes once more lifted up at me. "You haven't lost everything." I turned to Taiyang. "Or at least I hope so as… I have a plan."

The Xiao Long frowned. "Explain."

"Divorce yes but-"

"I'm sorry, I can't just forgive her for that-"

"But that isn't what I am asking you!" I countered his interruption. "My plan is about dealing with Ozpin's manipulation and keeping the whole family safe."

"Sounds complicated." The male Branwen muttered. "But do go ahead, mastermind."

"It's actually very simple, especially since it requires only one thing from Raven that I know she will do after I will say a little detail of the future she will find a good reason to go along with my idea."

The aforementioned woman frowned and I sighed, prepared to deal with the worst outcome I could get with that revelation.

Thus, I started with a brief premise. "Summer, you know that… you are a target to the Queen, right?"

She emerged from the hug she was still involved into with her lover and bobbed a nod. "Silver eyes, yes."

"And you still go in solo missions too, correct?"

She nodded again, this time I noticed the rest of the team connecting dots about my subtle-not-so-subtle questions.

"When." Taiyang demanded, not moving yet as he didn't want Summer to understand what was going on as the woman looked still clueless.

"This year… or the next one."

"Whom?" Qrow pressed on and I felt nervous and worried for my current health.

"Hazel Rainart and I don't know if Tyrian Callows was implied too."

"W-What is going on?" The leader of the former team asked, sweating a little at this.

"It means you are quitting being a huntress and pursuing a career as a teacher." I stated with a tone that left no space for protests. "Raven will be visiting frequently and by 'frequently' I mean daily and for long times."

The bandit leader looked conflicted and I sighed.

"Look, I am trying to get you a chance to redeem yourself and get something back from your past life." I continued. "You may say that this isn't the way of the 'strong' but I think we both know that you don't believe it yourself."

The Branwen twitched and Summer finally recovered from that confusing and odd order. "What do you mean?"

"While she paints herself as a bloodthirsty bandit, that isn't the case." Raven was looking rather crossed at the fact I was ruining her image with this but, it was free points to recover some credibility. "How much did you sell the people you captured?"

She blinked, trying to keep quiet but luckily she caught my idea and spoke. "Several thousands of Lien each person."

"No deaths during your reign?" She nodded. "And no violence of 'that' kind?" She nodded again, this time vigorously.

"Well, she isn't murder, but you are still a thief-" I stated quietly.

"Not breaking news, pal." Qrow interrupted with a small smile, getting Raven to renew a glare at him.

"Well then… what do you all think of the plan?"

The four exchanged some glances, Raven finding little attention much to her dismay.

Taiyang coughed and nodded. "It could be done but..." He turned at his former wife. "I will not accept you back home."

_Then he turned at me once more, a smile forming on his face as I dreaded what he was going to say_.

"I guess, our good friend John will have to house you somewhere when you need it and-"

"You could've kept screwing the people in your team rather than target the first easy prey outside of it, _Mr. Xiao Long._"

"_JOHN!_"

I smiled smugly, seeing both women blush at that inconvenient detail about their team, then I turned to Qrow with the same expression and he frowned.

"Don't you dare."

"I will not..." I conceded smoothly, making him groan at my silent accusation.

"Still, I will… try to get some space for you, I guess?" I said to Raven. "The house is small already. I can't offer anything-"

"I-I understand."

She nodded and I sighed. "Then we are cool?" I looked around before nodding myself. "We cool, okay and..."

The door that led to the room the kids had been playing until now opened to show Yang peeking from it. "Uh.. mom?"

Summer moved to look at the little blonde. "Yes, sweetie."

"Ehr, Ruby is sleeping and..." She adopted a very familiar expression to me, the one a child would put on their face when they wanted to go home and catch some sleep.

"I guess we could go to our room in the hotel?" The woman asked to her lover, Taiyang letting out a yawn pretty much everyone followed with their own.

"It would be good..." He turned at me. "I guess we will continue this tomorrow?"

I hummed. "Could be done by the afternoon? Home is pretty much empty early on and..." I turned at the child, looking quite sleepy. "Yang, right?"

She frowned and nodded, lilac eyes showing curiosity at being called by a stranger like me. "You are Nora's dad?"

I nodded and smiled. "Could you come a little closer? I want you to meet someone."

Eyes were drilling holes on me at what I was trying to do but I still continued as the little girl walked closer, her sight drawn to the woman sitting tied to the chair. "W-Who is she?"

"That is a former teammate to your parents' team-"

"Liar." I froze at her soft voice and frowned.

"What?"

She smiled a little and nodded. "Mama said that I had another mom and..." She moved closer to the red-eyed lady. "She is familiar."

I hummed. "Yep. That is your mom alright." She blinked my direction before giving her full attention to Raven, the woman looking quite unprepared for this situation and then… Yang crawled onto her lap, looking curiously and closer to her newfound parent before smiling.

"Cool!"

...What?

**That is a child. She is meant to ignore the complexities of a situation this big, especially since there isn't any heavy situation ongoing for her to perceive. It feels more like an easygoing situation that doesn't require her to ask unnecessary questions.**

_I feel like I should be worried you are this much interested in children's psychology._

**I was the teacher and then the headmaster to a school-**

_Which students where teenagers, thus making your argument an epic fail._

**Well, you are quite childish-**

_Oh, shut up, Ozma!_

* * *

**AN**

**I think I discovered the worst thing to do while writing is doing it while following an 8-hours long political discourse. I will not say what it is about, nor what I believe into as this is not important to… everything in my writing career. **

**Just that my brain is hurting as I am following everything and everyone in that session.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Travisck****: It's better not to present to them the fact the world is going to heck in a decade or so as that would be a reason to panic… a lot. Qrow's loyalty is up to debate and… maybe?**

**This Dude****: *Winks at you***

**Captaindrake123****: It's kind of sad you didn't read the ANs of the various chapters before making this review as it would help you answer half of it. I am not offended, just a little disappointed that someone as critical as you went over the explanations by the end of the chapters. I don't left nothing unresolved without a reason and I think going point by point by knowing you will now have to check to see if I am correct or not is enough as a reply. Sorry if this seems like a dismissal and I hope you have a good day.**

**TorynShadowmist****: You know it, don't you? XD**


	13. The Lady In Red (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Helping other people is our responsibility. And no matter what I'm gonna live by that.__"_** – Shirou Emiya**

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Lady In Red (4)**

To say that I was starting to notice a pattern slowly forming around my little family was… an utterly foolish understatement.

With Raven being properly tied and moved out of my home, I expected things to return stable as I didn't exactly have the particular condition that pushed me to seek a major involvement on the plot.

Remnant's complicated issues, ranging from family matters to world-end scenarios, were stuff to keep the furthest away from me. Especially since I was dealing with one of said issues because it was related to a good connection to part of the cast. The _support _cast to that.

Yet my hopes of enjoying a new day without facing STRQ anytime before lunch, which were legitimated by the fact the team would be keen to avoid trying to press on the sensible info 'I might be still having about the world', crumbled before a rather unusual sight as I walked towards the kitchen.

The snoring was soft, almost undetectable to my ears, and I would have easily associated the noise to Sienna deciding to pull an all-nighter for that day. It wouldn't be the first time the woman decided to 'guard' the house and making use of the couch but… then I turned my stare at the furniture and frowned at what I saw.

Raven's eyes were closed, further proving that the woman was still soundly asleep and unaware of the fact that I was looking at her. She was wearing a short half-sleeved white shirt that sported a dark-gray rose on it, mini-pants doing nothing to hide the pale and 'glowing' legs of hers.

Summer could have given her some clothes. The Branwen didn't exactly bring anything that could resemble a night-wear and the fact that said clothes looked rather tight on her frame was enough to conclude it was indeed a spare pair of clothes from the leader of her team.

Sprawled on the couch with her hair left unhindered with anything to tie her dark locks away, the sword-wielding woman looked like a lioness enjoying some much-needed rest and… now I was visualizing Raven with feline cat-ears-

_No, we are not having this right now!_

My hands slapped softly at my cheeks, the brief pain snapping me out of my embarrassment as I walked towards the kitchen cubicle. Holding back a yawn, I started to fix the fire on the stove and prepared the small saucepan with milk to put onto the flame.

My hands fluttered without hesitation while picking the cups that were supposed contain the warm milk. A few spoons were taken too, carefully handling honey and chocolate powder.

Finally a yawn broke away from my lips, my tired stare fixing over small pack of coffee mini-bars. While the bitter beverage was preparing, my attention shifted back to the saucepan as I turned off the fire and… poured the milk in the mugs.

The little steam coming from the sweet liquid, coupled with the delicious aroma that came from the mixture blending in the cups was what I needed to finally wake up and… it was time to wake up the kids.

With a nod, I picked the two cups that were meant to be given to Nora and Ren, turning around to start to walk-

And Raven was there, standing patiently just a few meters away from me. Her red-eyed sight was directed at my actions, there was minor surprise as she had been discovered but… my only reaction was just tensing up and giving her my own wide-eyed gaze.

"Good morning." I greeted quietly, giving nothing else from that. The woman blinked and nodded in return, letting me walk past her as I resumed my little march to the children's room.

I admit I was surprised at first at her lack of a stronger response at the non-commitment to truly interact with her, but soon I was calmly shaking the kids awake. Both were quick to finish the content of their mugs and I was sent back-tracking to the cubicle.

I glanced at Raven the moment I spotted her dark ahoge peeking from the couch she had used as a bed until minutes earlier. She was lying on it, sight covered by her arm as she sighed quietly.

Mugs to the sink and my cup placed on the small counter of the kitchen, I glanced momentarily at her as I tried to understand… Why, how and when?

Seriously, I thought that Summer would have gone out of her way to make sure the woman wouldn't have escaped her watch but… she failed. I blinked, the third and final mug quickly placed together with the rest.

My eyes turned once more at the young woman and I started to notice the awkward silence having been in the room for… sometime now. Curious, but not overly-dramatic.

I could only think of the reason behind her presence here and I found quite interesting lack of the intensity present until the day before.

Just as I was about to finally commence the discussion, I found myself beaten by the woman herself.

"Why are you… happy of this dull life?" She asked, her voice clear as it delivered quite the packed question.

I blinked. "Er- can you be a little more… specific?" I asked back, my mind trying to grasp what she was alluding to and… the former Huntress sighed.

"You take joy from preparing breakfast." Raven commented with a little stronger tone. "You enjoy something that shouldn't give you any gratification and… it confuses me to no end."

I hummed. "You mean something that _doesn't give you any gratification_." I felt chiding to the woman, causing her red eyes to turn to glance at me with some intrigue. "People can actually live without having to deal with highly-dangerous situations, Raven." I concluded with a sigh, her stare hardening a little in show of annoyance.

"Then what about Summer- or Taiyang?" She pressed with more determination. "They are still Hunters but… they hardly care now about training as much as they usually did when we were still in the same team." There was a brief pause. "I know that they now are taking care of the… children, but to fall to this pathetic predicament? Even Qrow looks stronger than them… and he is always drunk." She stopped with a frown, eyes turning to the ceiling as she waited for an answer.

… "You know that they have other responsibilities now-"

"But then why would they decrease the training?" The Branwen interrupted, her ahoge flickering left and right to show her inner confusion. "Why would they waste time that could give them the strength to protect Ruby and Yang-"

"Because they are still their parents." I interjected firmly, my tone turning colder as I felt irritated by the lack of understanding I was getting from the woman. As clueless as she could be about family-related stuff, I was sure that she should have been smart enough to connect the fact children had parents and not formal guardians around. "And as their parents is their legitimate concern is to make sure that-"

Just as I was about to finish that more-than-needed explanation, we both heard the distinct sound of the door bell.

I frowned, slowly advancing towards the entrance area and went to check from the peeping hole. I was surprised at whom was on the other side, my hand quickly going for the knob and twisting it open after unlocking the door. A smile forming on my face, I nodded and greeted the people standing by the porch.

"Good morning, Ghira, Kali." The couple nodded back as I turned to the yawning girl standing close by her mother's legs. "And hello there, Blake."

The child yawned and nodded. "'Morning, uncle John." She greeted softly.

..._Did she just-_

"She asked if she could call you like that… since it rings well, she says." Kali answered my silent question while ruffling the tired girl's hair. "And I find your resemblance with Ghira quite amusing." She commented mirthfully, deepening my frown at this very bit.

Ignoring the fact that he was taller than me, had muscles and could easily open me up as a tin can if the situation required, I think I could see… a very insignificant and minor resemblance.

I glanced at the man, he merely nodded silently, his face telling some imposition from his wife had put him on the corner over the matter. Just as I was about to ask why they were there, I remembered that the three members of the Belladonna family _weren't the only ones present there._

Courtesy of a partly-annoyed Sienna, my poor cheek was targeted by a sudden pinching attack.

My eyes snapped open at the sudden pain and my sight was instantly to the not-so-amused Tiger Faunus. "Hello to you too, John." The woman replied with a stern smirk, her hold intensifying. "I see that you are courteous today. Enough to remember me very well."

I felt dread as I felt her annoyance flooding towards me, like a wave ready to consume everything on its way. "_I'm shorry!_"

Her lips twitched upwards at my pinch-induced impairment and both Kali and Blake giggled at the scene, Ghira merely nodding in sympathy at the situation that had fallen upon my poor face.

"I'm happy to know that you two are this close but… I think I should tell you that we are visiting for… her." The mother's smile widened as her index finger pointed behind me and… right at a very surprised Raven.

"Kali?" The Branwen said with a shocked tone, her red eyes widening at the fellow woman.

The Cat Faunus giggled. "It's been a while, Rae." She replied with a nod.

I blinked, glancing at Ghira and then Sienna. "_They know eash other?_" I asked with confusion dripping from my words… only to be yanked a little harder by the Tiger Faunus. "_W-Why?_"

"'Why?'" She parroted with a quiet tone. "You want to tell me that I should question _**why she is here after she had left yesterday?!**__" _The woman looked- no, _was livid _and I gulped nervously.

...I was pretty convinced that a 'sorry' wouldn't have worked this time around.

Soon we were all sitting by the couches as Ghira, Sienna and I stared with mild curiosity as both women started to spare their respective attentions to each other.

It took me a while to understand how the two were connected and… I almost facepalmed at where I could draw any parallels from.

Old Times. It was from 'Old Times'.

The comic was pure slice of life with some Anime-like scenarios about the various misadventures of Team STRQ… and the grand cast formed by various other characters _that weren't supposed to be in Beacon Academy to begin with!_

Not that I complained, I always loved a good slice of life and…

The issue was that I could remember how Kali was characterized in that series. Albeit very kind, polite and reserved, the Cat Faunus did have a minor attraction to Raven, said interest materializing in the form of stories… she would write about her.

Nothing overly-romantic and cringey stories about any shipping but… the main discovery was that the mother was also a writer herself.

_I mean, Blake's interest in literature was supposed to come from somewhere._

Now that sounded like a good thing to consider, since I wouldn't mind having Ilia learning from someone else other than me. As much as I was happy to help her around, finding time with the work hours and house chores proved to be a draining situation.

"-And do you remember when Qrow and Tai ended up hit by that squid? It was… amusing wh-when the old man passing nearby gave them both CPR."

The Branwen snorted. "My brother would whine about that 'incident' for two whole months. I swear, the Dorm room became unbearable by how he behaved about it." She commented herself.

Kali chuckled. "Yet Tai was very quick to forget about it, something about _trying to impress someone_." The Faunus winked at the huffing woman. "Do you remember the serenades he would throw at you?"

"More like hindrances to homework." Raven shook her head. "He was terrible when it was Valentine day." She concluded with a sigh.

"Indeed and-"

"Dear." Ghira interrupted right in that moment, his stare directed at his watch. "We should hurry, the children are going to be late for school."

My eyes widened and I nodded as I did notice it was getting late. Kali pouted a little but smiled sadly as she stood up from her seat. "It's been good to catch up with you, Rae."

"Likewise, Kali. It's always good to hear from you and..." Her red eyes turned to her friend's husband, narrowing at him much to the latter's nervousness. "Your husband… I hope he was the 'one' that could tame you." She mused quietly, her tone turning… _odd_.

…What?

**I think it's time to bail, John. This is turning-**

"Why yes! He truly knows how to _untangle _me up-" The cat-eared mother giggled and nodded to the sheer embarrassment hitting the witnesses of this last bantering. Sienna stood up and started to drag me towards the door.

"W-We are leaving!" She ordered with a hasty tone, pulling my arm and forcing me to stand up too.

I had a sheepish look about the 'hurry' the woman had and… then I remembered a little detail-

_I had yet to change in my normal clothes and… I couldn't go to my workplace in simple shirt with baggy trousers._

"S-Sienna, wait! I-I am not ready-

_**I'm not readyyyy!**_"

* * *

"That's unacceptable, Jacques!" A closed fist slammed on the desk in front of the blank-looking young man.

The owner of the hand was an elderly businessman with icy blue eyes and pristine white-hair "I gave you half of my shares for the SDC because I wanted to trust your common sense and ability to make affairs but-"

"The company is faring well, _father_." Jacques replied cooly. "I made sure that the profits were tripled and that the board of directors was happy with our plans." He affirmed, pushing forward some papers with positive results.

"_Your _plans, you foolish brat." Nicholas Schnee snarled, his face growing redder the more he spoke with this idiotic mess of a person. "Applying extreme measures against Faunus-related workers, depriving them of rights that they got from the Council-"

"A lesser evil for the sake of improving the company." The Chief Executive pointed out snidely. "Being 'nice' is unbecoming for the SDC. Our priority should be the betterment of the Schnee family and the empowerment of our monopoly over Remnant." A smug smile appeared as the words left his mouth.

"_You insufferable cur-_" The official leader of the family paused a moment to cough, the fit lasting for a few moments. "Y-you, I will make sure you- you are ousted from the board-"

"Empty threats from someone close to the coffin." Jacques sharply stated, his eyes turning in slits as his anger started to show. "A foolish old man trying to use his reputation to ruin _an upstanding young man and head of the Gelé family._"

"Y-You-"

"I will be enjoying some quality life with my family." The younger businessman interrupted. "Winter is showing an impressive capacity to deal with complex math problems, her tutors are praising her as a young genius-"

"You w-will pay, Jacques." The head of the Schnee promised coldly. "I- I will make sure t-that once I'm done with you-"

"No more." The elegant young man demanded. "You are _allowed _to leave, _father_." The order was easily perceived by the elder and… Nicholas decided to retreat.

His body was partially shivering, once more the medications failing to help him withstand the annoying illness that he had contracted during one of his latest explorations. His health had deteriorated to an unbelievable rate and… mistakes have been made.

Giving his daughter's hand to Jacques was possibly the greatest of them all and now the founder of the greatest Dust-based company in the world was struggling to protect his family from the ambitious prick's plans.

He walked alone in the empty hallways of the mansion, glancing once or twice in a while around as he noted the strange looks the guard within his _very house _were giving him. Like an untrustworthy criminal, a deranged man ready to explode any moment now.

The last bit wasn't that far as, while he did look merely irritated and sick, Nicholas was truly having the greatest ire toward that smug bastard. He sighed, eyes closing as he tried to calm down and-

"Sir, I see that you have finished with your meeting." The hopeful and flippant voice brought the old Schnee out of his inner peace, his eyes softly gracing the butler that he had personally hired to take care of his grandchildren.

Klein Sieben was a diamond among coals, a man that proved to be not only capable of doing his job efficiently, but also provide the children someone that they could trust as a surrogate family member.

Something that Nicholas didn't mind as he did encounter the peculiar butler years before when he was but a babe at the time.

"Thank the Gods, yes." The elder replied amicably. "And I hope that Willow has finished with the sparring session of today." He asked quietly, getting a simple huff from the servant.

"Lady Schnee is patiently waiting by your room. She awaits news about-"

"What happened with my talk with the selfish prick and… it's not good news at all." The man interrupted, shaking his head in self-disappointment. If he had been younger, healthier, the discussion would have gone _way worse _than having a moron still sitting on his former chair.

"Indeed?" Klein looked quite concerned by this response. "Then would you prefer if I prepared for you some coffee and-"

The Schnee held his hand up, gesturing the butler to be quiet. "I understand your worries, Klein, but I will manage without one for what I've to say to my daughter."

His little girl, pride of his eyes and… a registered Huntress by Vale's registry. It had been amusing to see how Willow had preferred to continue her studies in Beacon Academy of all places… and yet he had been glad for that.

Without a close influence from other important Altesian families, the rebellious girl developed and matured in a wise and dangerous woman to face without proper tools.

_Something that Nicholas circumvented unknowingly and so wrongly by setting up that arranged marriage with Jacques._

Regrets filled his once determined soul, his hand shivering a little as it hovered close to the door that led to his room, his heart aching at the news he was supposed to deliver.

He knocked twice and… entered with a faux smile.

The moment he stepped inside, Nicholas was surprised by a quick hug from Willow. The young mother of three children looked hardly different from before her marriage. Sharp and brilliant cerulean eyes expected proper news, her expression one of hope.

"Father." Her smile, once a symbol of being happy of, now felt hurtful. He had failed his baby girl.

"W-Willow." He smiled even more as he patted his daughter's shoulder. "I see that you are still holding strong with your sparring partners." He commented, drawing a minor pout from the adult but gaining another big smile soon after.

"They are particularly lazy-mannered in spars." She replied with an annoyed tone. "But I suppose that this is the best I can afford right now." Her voice trailed some resignation to the critical situation she was undergoing with her marriage.

Her husband had yet to show any disturbing attitude, but if Nicholas' gut feeling was correct (like always), then it was a matter of time, possibly after he passed away, for Jacques to snap and retaliate against his wife.

Willow was sometimes hot-headed, something that she had inherited by her father, but that was also a flaw that put her at odds with the former member of the Gelé family.

The old Schnee sighed. "Sweetie, can… can you help me to the bed. I think we both… needs to sit down for this."

She tensed a little at the request, nodding with some confusion and… concern. "S-Sure thing, father."

Her hold was strong, but cautious enough to mind his tired bones and soon… they were sitting by his bed.

"The discussion was… heated." Nicholas admitted quietly. "Jacques was very adamant over his stance and… and I understand that this is about your friend-"

"It's not only her." Willow interrupted quietly. "But to those children and their parents that work at the mine." She added with a serious tone, something that the father nodded at.

He could see a resemblance to the horror of child labor back after the Great War, how Mantle had to struggle painfully to return to stability.

A young Nicholas Schnee would learn how being humble and mindful of how things work all over the world was what made a man the best among high numbers. A man capable of standing up against odds and work himself out from poverty with ingenuity and capacity to take opportunities the right way, never the easy way.

What once was the Schnee Dust Company, a monopoly born to bring prosperity to Remnant as a whole, was now slowly crumbling in a… 'very large monopoly under Atlas'.

The council had been a pain in the butt to deal back when they demanded several times for the company's nationalization, something that would have crippled his hopeful dreams multiple times.

Then Jacques started to mingle with some members of the government and_ strange_ situations happened by the political landscape of the kingdom.

Some of the rights present for Faunus were rescinded one by one, meek explanations allowed and the military, having been silently and unknowingly bribed with a bigger budget, were fine about it all.

Many of the older generals, those that had been there to witness the horrors of the Faunus Revolutionary War, were quick to resign from their posts… but their actions mattered little when the media focused on 'other, more important news'.

"A-And I tried to have him to back down from his post and..."

There was a pause, his daughter realizing almost too quickly where he was going with his words and… the sadness was almost too much for him. The hug that she gave him, something that he should have initiated, brought him to tears.

After years of fighting injustice itself, Nicholas Schnee lacked the strength to properly match up with the vultures hovering over his family. He was tired, too tired to keep up with the burden and… it was infuriating.

He slumped over the woman's kind embrace and… he sighed. "I… I'm sorry, sweetie-"

"It's alright, father-"

"N-No, it's not." He interrupted angrily. "I-I should have noticed quickly that the mongrel was… like that. I should have- I-"

"_Shhh..._" The white-haired mother patted his weary head softly. "You did what you could have done and… I don't blame you." She said in a comforting fashion, causing more tears to flood through his eyes.

This was… unacceptable.

His sweet daughter… was here comforting him. He should be the one comforting her but…

Promises matter little if there wasn't any action backing them up.

If he wanted to truly redeem himself… he would have to remove the cause of the problem.

Jacques was problematic, part of his board _was even worse_. Even if he was close to his final day, Nicholas continued to fight for his family and… hopefully something would have come up within his mind when he would be with his grandchildren.

With tutors and teachers besieging the two granddaughters, the man was left only with little Whitley, the toddler being too young to be ushered into education just yet.

But the day after tomorrow, with the day in the schedule being freed for the children, the old man was offered the chance of enjoying some of his last moments with them.

_**Maybe it was melodramatic and overly-foolish but, for the first time in decades of being atheist, Nicholas Schnee prayed for a miracle to save his family.**_

* * *

**AN**

**And here we go! Last bit of Raven's first Segments is done and… now we pick up the pace!**

**I think you all know by know where it will be the next location and… Atlas will take two-three segments, bringing up more characters and… chaos theory goes insane.**

**Also, Old Times is a comic written and drawn by Tikoriko and… it's something wholesome, like 99% of his drawings.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Travisck****: I think Raven was meant to have a little more of spotlight in… Volume 3. It would have fit well for the Volume 5 vibe she had with Yang and maybe gave Yang a reason to oppose her rightfully (not only for being a 'coward').**

**Blaze1992****: It's more of a Raven's rule. She masked it as a 'rule from the tribe' but even Qrow denies the presence of such law. And about the second question… a strong (positive) maybe.**

**Victorsan12345****: She is known to be a cold-hearted murderer, but it was established that her threat level was bolstered by Mistral's propaganda machine. She takes prisoners and kill only those that attack her tribe. (But if you're referring to the 'cut your arm' introduction, then no, it was more of a way to stop a cargo with precious resources).**


	14. The sky is blue and so is the Fall (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_But what you could perhaps do with in these days is a word of most sincere sympathy. Your movement is carried internally by so strong a truth and necessity that victory in one form or another cannot elude you for long__"_** – Hjalmar Schacht**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Where the sky is blue and so is the Fall(1)**

* * *

When I first discovered that little issue regarding the strange transactions happening in Menagerie and connected it to an unknown element in Atlas, I hadn't been aware of how much big the illegal operation had been, nor I had been conscious of the massive escalation it would have brought to the matter.

When the Chieftain of Menagerie himself had slammed fists on his table regarding this absurdly-large money-laundering attempt via the exploitation of the less-developed banks present in the island, the reply of Atlas had been a mixed one.

While a strong majority of the Atlesian council had publicly condemned the predicament as deplorable and quickly offered some compensation for the damage suffered by the small nation, the lack of notes detailing the possibility of further investigations and some trials for the guilty part was more than enough to propose a counter-offer.

No compensation had to be paid, but there would have been an investigation assigned to a mixed task force formed by members of Atlas' military and someone from the Menagerie's own guards to maximize the 'friendship' and 'trust' between the two political entities.

Something that was bitterly accepted after some days of hard-thinking for the former Kingdom of Mantle, but the hesitation to the acceptance to the rather 'generous' deal was more than enough to confirm that something was off about this entire predicament.

The doubts pestering by Zardula about the 'guaranteed safety' for the Menagerie's group had been influencing his refusal to have either Ghira or Kali, or both, to work on the diplomatic case. Thus, after some quick contemplation over the matter, a particular name was brought up.

Sienna was more than happy to be bestowed with such a grand duty as much as she was enraged by the fact she would have to deal closely with Atlas. It was a curious sight the one I was granted when I saw her smiling with some minor angry growls purring on her throat, even the noise leaving me as perplexed as hesitant to even get close to the Tiger Faunus.

And while I had expected to be given some free time away from the now-attached woman and try to deal with the fact I had someone like Raven Branwen deciding to sticking around once or twice in a while, maybe also get to help Ilia a little more with her project, I was given a foul hand as I had been summoned the earliest in the morning by the chieftain himself.

The visit had gone pleasantly, the coffee offered was more than delightfully accepted and the kind comments regarding my 'trustful' approach over this discovery were quite sugarish themselves to be the prelude of something a little more complicated and worrisome.

The pleasantries lasted for just less than half an hour and what I was given in the form of quick words was more than enough to have me hyperventilate a little at what I was being offered.

With Sienna going to Atlas, there had also been a mindful thought about sending someone else to both keep an eye over her zealous belief over the Kingdom and to make sure she had someone to have as an ally during the trip there up in 'behind enemy lines'.

I was quick to pick up where he was going with that introduction and before I could have been granted the chance of refuse, the man was quick to point out the fact that Sienna was the least worrying guard to have around until she was around to do this job.

In fact, even though I had been behaving rather 'well' in the last few days and I had proven that I meant it that I wanted to stay there by bringing up this ordeal to the authority's sight, I still had to have someone to be my minder. Cue the subtle reminder that I would have to deal with someone possibly worse than the young woman and completely unknown for me to 'avoid getting stitches' from.

It wasn't a pleasant thought as it would put me in quite the pickle with whoever I would have to deal with in that very case. It was also annoying that the man _knew _about my trouble about it and was keen to present it in quite the infuriating manner.

The smug was irritating, but I was too nervous over the fact I had been put in a very difficult predicament here with this crossroad. Either I went to Atlas and dealt with whoever had gone to create this economic mess, or I would have to deal with some hostile minder that could screw my peaceful life without a second thought about it.

_**I don't think there isn't much of a choice. With how it was worded, I can tell he really wants you on the field.**_

_...What? Why would he-_

_**You are good with economics, you have found about the issue and it would be easy to see why having you to personally analyze the matters from a close perspective would get the investigation going with some hopes of success.**_

Ozpin's comments were logical and incredibly-helpful in bringing up this very notion. Atlas might not be outright governed by some tyranny, but the few men ruling in the council wouldn't have been keen to have this scandal to escalate to a further degree. They were pragmatically nationalistic in nature, but they were also 'united' under the banner of the grand Kingdom they were.

It was good in terms of keeping stability up, but also fairly dumb when corruption lingered around the high levels. And that is why I had to be there with Sienna to make sure that things wouldn't get hidden away for the sake of 'unity' and 'patriotism'.

_**It's not as bad as you point it out to be.**_

_Ironwood is a moderate element in the leadership compared to some generals. I would be quicker to believe that there is some moral code going on with the tenure of the military than that the military itself is corrupt like the government._

_**You mean that they accept honor and justice as tenants? You will be surprise by what James was forced to do two years before the Fall.**_

_I have limited knowledge about stuff and I think that until crazy things happen to disprove my current familiarity with people, I will stick with what I know about him and the others._

_**Which is why I think your knowledge about the 'future' is as peculiar as it is quite exhaustive about the possible reason as of why our predicament exist.**_

…_What?_

_**While I have indeed transmigrated in your body, my incapacity to fully take over is manifested by the biological and soul-related differences we share. Your body is devoid of Aura, it's devoid of a true Semblance as… there is nothing even remotely close to this third Humanity.**_

_You mean that there is actually a different about- Hold up! Third humanity? What-_

_**Nothing to be concerned about. Just keep an eye on things as your unique body and soul are going to become a greater target compared to Maidens and Relics.**_

_AND YOU DECIDED TO TELL ME THIS NOW? WHY THE-_

_**Because it's a mere suggestion, a highly-probable one, but still a guess about our peculiar case. Nothing that truly tell us much about the truth of things. And now, I will rest for a while… I think things will require my assistance rather soon now that we are going in dangerous lands-**_

_Who said that I would accept the offer-_

_**You are currently signing it as you are think-talking to me.**_

I blinked back to reality and I found my hand scribbling down my signature on the document forwarded by the calm-looking elder, my attention fully shifting back to the real world as said compiled file was pulled away from my reach and analyzed by the Faunus' attentive glance.

He gave a nod, a tiny smirk unveiling as the paper was taken away by a guard nearby. I stared at the scene in utter surprise and confusion, brain failing to keep up with the fact I just did that unconsciously.

..._WHAT THE FUCK!_

Ozpin didn't reply at my foul reaction, further leaving me to deal with what I just did. Seriously, what had happened back there and why I had little recollection over the actions regarding the signing of the papers.

I was then given a quick explanation about a few questions I still had over the matter, most of them regarding the kids. Kali had been more than happy to take the two children to stay by the mansion for the days Sienna and I were supposed to be out of there, Ghira merely impassive but quick to accept of helping me with the kids too.

My workplace would end up getting informed that my current presence was going to be missing for the time being for some national security's matters. The excuse was simple to listen but it was hefty enough to silence enough questions from my boss and other colleagues.

I didn't ask anything about Raven, knowing full well that the woman was still going to keep track of me with her portals and I knew that the Chieftain would surely be elated of the fact he wouldn't have to be wary of the bandit leader wandering in Menagerie.

What followed after the meeting could only be described as 'utter chaos'.

I had to reassure the two kids that I was going to be back in more or less a week from now, the work being a safe trip that wouldn't see me put in any danger (a lie, but I was quick to label it a white one). Nora cried, a lot, the girl latching onto my chest worse than glue the moment she was finally provided with the explanation behind my sudden departure.

Ren was sad too, but the young boy was a little more understanding of the matter after twenty minutes spent telling him that I would be fine, that Sienna would have been with me and that Raven would have surely kept an eye over me for the sake of keeping me alive from any attempt at my life.

The Valkyrie was a little more difficult to convince, especially with how loud her bawling was and how she decided to drown any words coming from my lips with her cries. I was almost brought to a rather unpleasant situation where a parent, even a newly-made one as I was, had to be strong enough to part with their kids.

Nora had grown attached to me rather quickly, the sudden opportunity to finally having a good family being more than enough to urge her to spend more time around me when I was back home and that manifested right as I had to go for this business trip.

The thought that I had to be absent for a full week had been enough to spark, anxiety, nervousness and fear as the girl denied me the chance of moving away from the couch of the living room back home.

I wouldn't be lying that I did felt a little crappy at the prospect I couldn't spoil her over the matter, maybe rejecting the offer and all, but then I was given peace in the form of a lucky development with the girl.

Her cries turned less, her eyelids dropped until they close and after two hours of full-crying and all, I was left with a terribly-exhausted child on my arms. I blinked tiredly myself, strained by the situation but strong enough to carefully pass the sleeping child right at the kind and waiting hold that Kali had prepared for me to let go of Nora.

The child shifted with a small frown and scowl, the lines were once there were her tears were now red as her cheeks were. I dropped a little kiss on her forehead and patted Ren's head while bidding him a calm goodbye. The boy nodded with a sad smile, holding back a yawn before returning the words.

With this situation dealt with, I was left to deal with Sienna's reaction over my presence in what was going to be her 'glorious' but painfully-agonizing road to Atlas. The young woman had been shocked-no, _floored_ by the fact that I, a simple civilian, would have to follow her around during this voyage for the cold north and her lack of major words dignified an immense conflict growing in her head.

I had no doubt that she was hesitant of the fact that I would have been a burden in any attack and that I could have possibly caused some major issues about the legitimacy of what was supposed to be a proper entourage from Menagerie.

I wasn't a Faunus and people would have suspected me of being from another Kingdom, thus suspecting a possible foul play from another 'rival' over the visible weakness exposed by the scandal's discovery.

Paranoia was a strong emotion capable of making people do some mad things for the sake of self-preservation. Like Gulags and Purges.

I was also conscious of the fact that there were enough power-plays to make things hot in that cold nation up below, that some politicians would make propaganda out of this and maybe try to get some easy favors from popular consensus over the failure or success of this investigation.

And hopefully, we weren't going to be assassinated by some hit-man mere moments before returning back home. I would seriously hate that kind of unfair timing and… death isn't fun.

This incredibly-annoying and massively-tiring first half of the day ended up with Sienna and I entering inside the airship arriving from Atlas itself, the interior was a cold-themed as the exterior, the lack of warm colors and the presence of a prevalent amount of gray, silver and blue was enough to remind me of some military operation.

There was a young lieutenant assigned to command the ship and a mix of soldiers and androids keeping things going within the complex machine that would transport us to Atlas and… maybe get us to a safe refuge before forcing us to do things.

_I really didn't want to die a Kennedy's death._

* * *

The silence offered by her room was surprisingly noise and difficult to endure.

Winter Schnee huffed as she was finally enjoying some free time away from her tutors and back to the safe refuge that was her bedroom. The place itself was big enough to accommodate the entirety of her wardrobe, filled with clothes for various occasions, her book-filled shelves and the workshop she had received as a gift from her grandfather.

The ghost of a smile briefly appeared at the mentioning of the kind old man that was Nicholas Schnee. The elder was rather forgiving and lenient over her educative growth, mentioning the fact that she was still young enough to enjoy some happiness before dealing with the complex nature of being part of the richest family in Remnant.

The girl huffed as she flipped the current page, the set of math problems having been completed with flawless execution of the methods taught by the rigorous teachers bought by her father.

Men that were stern with their explanations, quite unforgiving when some issue would rise up from the failure to properly understand a part or two of their lectures but also quite cautious to not exaggerate with their manners and their loud tones, knowing that a mistake could see them thrown out from the graces of the family.

Even though a mere ten-years old child, Winter Schnee was a very attentive girl that could understand the nature of things happening in her little palace of ice and cold. Home was home with Mama, Weiss, Whitley and Grandpa, but while it had a full-fledged warming system, the presence of her father seemed to render things so cold and difficult to keep up with.

The man that was Jacques Schnee was… ambitious. She blinked, her hands pausing a moment in her homework as she repeated softly the word and connecting silently to its definition.

Her father had an ambition, a long-timed goal that seemed to span beyond the common and the average. He was conscious of his rich position and exploited those that were weaker than him. The nature of the strong against the weak, it was something that the lessons from the tutor teaching her about history had been repeating over and over again.

The power of grand men against a multitude of inferior individuals, either because of economic, social or even political reasons. It was something that happened between animals, Faunus and even humans.

It was a connecting element that was somewhat unpleasant to those that felt that the 'inferiority' of the Faunus-kind was genuinely a thing. Even as a young and still-growing lady, Winter knew that there was something wrong in calling it a 'fact' when no proof had ever been brought up.

Something that her Mama had agreed to when she had asked about the matter, further giving her depictions of the concept being subverted either by humans or faunus themselves. It was so absurd yet so present, especially with the old and loud guests that her father would invite for business dinners.

Rich people that were either members of the SDC or just some minor noble families trying to get the scraps falling of Jacques' plate. Ignoring their loud grumbling and overly-saccharine words that were to endear the attention of the unofficial head of the family, Winter's only problem about those events was the frequent presence of children her age. Young boys that were keen to share tentative words of 'friendship' and 'alliance' because of their families' desperate attempts at glory, even going as far as to try and do the same with the still-innocent Weiss.

Her younger sister was incredibly-trusting of those individuals, feeling that their words meant what they were saying and sometimes forcing the eldest child's hand in going to threaten the daring fools to back away from these attempts.

The first time she had seen closely someone threatening someone else, it was when her mother had been angry with one of the servants treating badly little Whitley. The words had by then lost any attempt of formality, yet it hadn't completely degenerated in a crass contest of bad words.

She knew little of the 'foul ones', only that they were bad to hear and say to someone, something that had been more than enough for Winter to not search about them and…

She was digressing.

Winter's first try at intimidating had felt quite meek, the embarrassment and nervousness almost getting her to pause mid-lecture, but she had been lucky that the individual being targeted proved to be easy to dissuade from annoying Weiss even more.

The second and third tries were actually a little more refined, she took her time to properly set up the time and settings for those to happen. Both were successes and so were the ones that followed after those.

Precision, improvement and an odd sense of satisfaction in bringing order to that trouble-making nature of those pursuers. It was also something that had led her to take a dominant role in keeping watch over her siblings, Weiss even going as far as to consider her big sister 'her hero', the title being enough to put a blush on the little lady's cheeks.

The praise might have been of a brief nature, but the person from where it originated was enough to bring out even more satisfaction with her protective nature.

The noise of the door opening was what interrupted her thoughts and homework's sessions, her throat stopping with the calm humming born from that positive thinking and- She smiled when she was greeted by the familiar head peeking from the entrance of the room.

"Hello, sweetie," Nicholas Schnee smirked happily as he greeted his grandchild. Winter's eyes brightly returned the warmth she was received and she stood up from her chair to approach the kind elder.

The man fully entered inside the room, his hands holding something behind his back as he waited for the child to stop before him. "Oh? Were you busy with your homework?" He asked with a silly but curious tone, getting a huff from the child.

"It's math," She replied back with a pout, little arms crossing close to her chest. "Grandpa, why is math so difficult?"

The man chuckled and nodded. "Why, I think it's to make sure that fun things are funnier to make after Math," He explained flawlessly, like always. Yes, her Grandpa was this much cultured and impressive compared to other… dummies!

She almost giggled at that funny word, there was just something deeply amusing about it and- her attention was once more at the kind old man as the secret object he had been hiding until now was revealed to her.

Awe struck deeply as she was staring eye to eye to a fluffy teddy bear with pure-white fur, dark-blue eyes and… a little bow atop one of its ear. It had also a little smile and it seemed ready to be hug by the girl in front of it.

Winter didn't hesitate in snatching the lovely gift off from Nicholas' hands, pulling it in a tight embrace as she contemplated, between the pleasant surprise and the gleeful texture of the fluff, whatever fate it was going to get once her father discovered it.

It was an odd aversion from Jacques Schnee, but he had been sternly denying to his children the chance of keeping any fluffy animal dolls for no apparent reasons. Something that had driven him to get rid of the other gifts from the still-leading figure of the family towards the youngest members, either by burning them or having them delivered to the nearby dumpster.

Fat tears were still a strong memory of what had happened back when her first little lion cub had been taken away and destroyed, her rage directed at her father had reached the highest peak possible in that fateful day and… she blinked when she felt a big hand caressing up on her head.

Her stare noticed the kind but sad smile on the elder's face, a strange sight with the usually-cheerful grandpa and… he spoke. "Jacques will be busy in those few days," He finally said with a sigh. "There is a commission in the council that wants to see things over a bad thing that had happened in Atlas."

She frowned. "What bad thing?" The girl pressed on with a curious tone. Why wouldn't she want to know what kind of situation was going on at home? Could it be another strike? Or Maybe it was some disaster back in Mantle.

"Nothing that you should concern yourself with, little one," He snorted amusingly, drawing a bigger smile from the returning pout in the girl's face. "But I can tell you a little unique detail that got me quite shocked about this curious case."

The return of her interest was immediate, enough to cause another snort about it before an explanation was provided.

"The commission is going to be formed also by individuals loyal to Menagerie-"

The little nation that contained the grand majority of Faunus-kind, Winter knew about it mostly from her Geographical lessons that the Historical ones. She was still 'facing' the first section of the Great War and that was going to be a large topic to deal for the rest of the year, she reckoned with an inward sigh.

"And there will be a human among them." The elder finally finished with a little grin, expecting an incredible reaction out from her granddaughter and… it sure did happen. Her jaws dropped in an adorable display of shock at that impossible scenario.

It had been in the lessons from Geography, the tutor had been keen to point out that humans were never accepted within the community and thus no one had ever gotten to a high place within the Faunus-dominated hierarchy.

Yet her Grandpa provided the best news with the highest of legitimacy and… she blinked.

"W-What?" She started with a little surprise still dripping off her words. "But why would a human be among them?"

The man hummed quietly, his hand still carefully patting her soft head and drawing a frown out of the girl.

"Well, I don't know exactly how he got there… but he is part of the commission and he seems to be a competent fellow by the info I gathered from the little bio afforded by the bank he work for."

Part of her had been eager to press for more about this surprising development, but she remember about eagerness being a troubling emotion to bring so often around. That was what her Mama would tell her about during the little time they managed to spend together.

It was rare nowadays to get together to spend some time with her…

"Let's just say if things proceed smoothly, your father will have some trouble coming his way," The elder chuckled, drawing the girl's curiosity beyond her little formality and she finally asked.

"But why is he going to matter that much, Grandpa?" Her tone was carefully picked to strike the proper 'cute' notes to get some persuasion going, that was also something that Mama had told her to do with her Grandpa.

And it did in fact work when the man sighed before spilling more about the matter.

"This young man has a strong connection to the topic of the discussion, something that Jacques doesn't have and… I almost pity your father for going against that kind of tight case."

"So is father going to…" What word would best fit with the context? Fail? Be defeated?

"He will be steam-rolled and… that is the best fate he could get out from that possible meeting," He muttered with a smirk. "By the way, young lady, are you ready to spend some time outside with your grandpa and your siblings?"He asked with a giddy tone, getting a little giggle out from the amused child.

"Of course, Grandpa-" Then Winter blinked and sighed. "Still, I would have liked if Mama had come too."

"I wanted that too, sweetie, but Mama is busy with annoying your father," The elder replied with a sad sigh.

The little girl frowned at this new display of sadness. It was unbecoming for her grandpa to be sad, same for Mama and her siblings and…

Hopefully, that strange man living in Menagerie was truly going to make her father's sorry for hurting her Mama and the rest of the family.

She sure wished for it so.

* * *

**AN**

**So, Xmas has passed and now we awaits for the New Year.**

**By the way, I started a new RWBY fanfic that will completely do some crazy stuff that not many stories do:**  
**1- The MC isn't a OC/SI but a normal OC connected to a fairy tale;**  
**2- He will not be paired with anyone but will be close (we are talking about 'closeness of the wholesome kind') to the co-protagonist;**  
**3- Canon Plot? What Canon Plot?**  
**4- Blake is a legitimate dummy that will become relatable and…**  
**5- Stalkers, Yanderes, insane innuendos;**

**And lots more in… ****I have a Cat Problem****!**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blaze1992****: It shall be done, my lord! XD**

**merendinoemiliano****: Dude, don't want to sound harsh, but Winter is already there and going well. I think you forgot the timeline a little.**

**Mirator Figmentum Scriptor****: I've lots of plans and… no shame in any of them.**


	15. The sky is blue and so is the Fall (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be DELICIOUS!__"_** – Ruby Rose, she is not a crook.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Where the sky is blue and so is the Fall(2)**

* * *

I think I've not stressed well enough my rational phobia about dangerous situations that saw me quite close to either be stabbed, cut or shot at.

When the Airship landed by the small hangar pad provided by the flight controller, I had expected just a handful of soldiers, mixing with the already well-guarded entourage which I was part of for this occasion.

Much to my chagrin and surprise, the welcome greeting was much _bigger_ and more patriotic than I had initially expected.

Actually, why didn't I expect Atlas to parade its full military glory in front of the small envoy from Menagerie? Was I that much detached from the overall situation to forget about the Kingdom's _strong and trustworthy appearance?_

I wasn't much intrigued nor interested by the little march song used to flaunt and flex their muscles with the two lines of men armored and ready to make some warring.

What truly caught my attention was the lack of any robotic units there for me to see. Either it was too early in the past to see some of the modern anti-Grimm robots or maybe the budget wasn't allowing for the full introduction of the expensive replacements for the soldiers I was looking at.

All of them seemed to be upholding some legitimate military discipline, I could see honest and undeniable warriors that could really make this kingdom truly the greatest around.

Then I imagined how they would end up being slowly replaced by robots, devices that can't learn anything from experience (yet) and could easily compromise a mission because of some malfunction.

Flesh worked better than metal, that is why, despite the advanced technology the nation had, I couldn't help but facepalm at how they were blatantly ignoring the flaws of their 'ultra-modern' doctrine of warfare.

But I was digressing, my eyes fixed on the man that stood out from the mass of soldiers.

General James Ironwood was wearing something similar to his original uniform, but instead of a single glove to hide his cybernetic prosthesis he was wearing a pair.

His posture was much less rigorous than how I remembered it to be in the series. He blinked, noticing my stare, but his attention was briefly on me as someone else managed to catch his attention.

While I was an oddity to what other past envoys had been made by, someone that many of the soldiers were looking in quiet surprise and limited shock, their focus was suddenly directed at the sole individual beside me.

Donning a uniform similar to the one I was provided to make use of for the entire duration of the trip, Sienna was visibly tense and miffed at the little welcome greeting made by the troops there.

The Tiger Faunus looked ready to jump in action, but what kind of action was difficult to predict.

It was a violent one, that was a sure thing, but her attention wasn't channeled on someone in particular. The entire hangar felt the anger exuding from the woman and I glanced at it with silent curiosity.

I've seen Sienna getting angry at people before, with me being the prime subject of the episodes most of the time I had been at Kuo Kuana, but the current display she was giving off was actually beyond anything I had seen until now.

Gone was the intelligence, gone was the logical predatorial glint in her eyes. I could see a rabid and furious animal ready to lash out at the closest living being for even breathing a little too loud for her tastes.

If this had been a normal situation back home, I would have let her cool down on her own, knowing perfectly that the young woman was smart enough to realize if she is exaggerating or not.

But knowing the importance of the current predicament, I decided to intervene before things escalated to an unfortunate point.

Sienna stopped and tensed a little more, growing quiet and surprise as she felt my hand squeezing at her arm. Her attention shifted at me and she noticed almost too suddenly the little stern glare I was directing at her.

Chiding her by using words would have been a mistake for me since the circumstances would have turned me to be the issue for this little diplomatic endeavor. That is why I settled for a quick and easy to understand glance that settled things up for the woman.

_**Don't mess things up.**_

The message seemed to reach deep in her brain, her breathing slowing to a normal rate and she finally threw a quick nod my way before we continued to walk towards Ironwood.

The General looked incredibly curious, maybe it was my presence here or maybe it was the dynamics behind the relation I had with Sienna.

I wasn't in the mood to play the part of the sociopath, thus I merely shrugged at the present surprise.

He tensed up, aligning to a military salute before introducing himself. "General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military, I welcome you to the Kingdom of Atlas, Diplomat Khan and Consultant Bukharin."

He bowed a little, prompting us to return the favor, with Sienna being a little slow with bending her head a little for the sake of mere courtesy.

"General Ironwood," Sienna replied with a soft and restrained voice. "We accept Atlas' welcome."

Simple and perfectly curt for the Faunus to avoid giving too much of her attention to the high officer. The General blinked but nodded, possibly aware of the possible tension between the two diverse groups and… he turned to glance at me.

I blinked back at him. "Something's wrong, General?" I asked carefully, gaining a surprised look out of him.

"Just… curiosity, Consultant Bukharin," The Atlesian admitted with a neutral tone. "Still, I believe it would be best for us to make way to the current setting of the committee."

He gestured for us to follow him, the lines of soldiers parting and forming two different columns as they covered our flanks while we proceeded out of the hangar and towards the convoy of cars and trucks waiting outside the military installment.

We entered the vehicle where the General was going and Sienna almost squished me to death while she furiously sat down on the comfy seat.

It wasn't her weight, I was perfectly aware that she was slim and athletic, but the intensity which she used to descend upon the cushioned seat ended up partly rubbing on my leg and… giving me a sudden but moderate bout of burning pain.

I flinched, my brain giving the utmost to keep my mouth from giving out some foul word, even whispered, at that unplanned suffering.

The Faunus did notice the flinch, but she didn't seem apologetic about my current plight. Rather she looked to be enjoying the little payback for being 'chided' before the General.

In a normal case, I would have let go, but considering that it was Sienna and I wasn't technically a normal human being, I decided to keep count of this little slight.

I was a man with common sense and a fair degree of maturity, but pettiness was something included in the overall package and thus my revenge will manifest in utter childishness and dumb.

I managed to keep quiet, or at least I didn't let out any compromising noises that would have highlighted my temporary pain as Ironwood decided to finally speak up.

"Consultant Bukharin, may I ask you a question?" The man inquired with a formal tone, once again sporting his professionalism even in that close setting.

Sienna glared at him briefly, then she looked with some curiosity right at me, intrigued by what I could do now that I was being called to reply.

As a Diplomat, the Tiger Faunus should have been the one to answer questions and, if someone had tried to divert the attention to another individual of the entourage, to remind said 'someone' that she should be the only one to answer to stuff.

She was still angry, I could sense that in the For- Actually no, that would lame.

"Sure thing, General," I replied calmly and the man nodded.

"If it isn't too much personal or direct to ask," He continued with a cautious voice. "I was interested to know… how did you end up living in Menagerie and working for the local bank?"

The woman tensed visibly at that probing query, her eyes widening as I sighed and frowned.

"Gratitude," I merely replied, letting the world roll off my tongue as slowly as humanly acceptable.

There was some silence, the Atlesian officer looking perplexed at the curt response, but noting the little smugness coming off from my little smirk.

"I suppose I had been… far too blunt with my inquire," He promptly countered at the sudden realization of what I just did. "My apologies."

"Apologies accepted and..." I hummed quietly as my smirk fell. "I reckon that I shouldn't have been that much blunt with my distress."

It was a competition of sort between me and the General, a challenge to see whom was able to discover more of the other by keeping the situation as civil and polite as possible.

Was it correct for me to advance such a situation? Maybe no, but I could also see some interesting rewards in coaxing the man to indulge with his curiosity.

In for a penny- Nevermind, my PTSD can't allow even that saying to even go through without getting some Volume 3 memories scrambling my brain.

Oh, the horror and the inhumanity!

"I suppose we are both at fault," The man agreed almost instantly. "But I think I should explain that this is out of my personal curiosity. The Council hardly requested for some inquiry about your origins, Consultant Bukharin-"

"Please, call me 'John'," I interjected with a sigh. "I understand that the full formality might be mouthful and I think it's for the best to… reduce some silly obstacles."

But while I was keeping up with this little act of probing around the General, my mind was also playing around the idea that the Council actually did try to study my curious case.

I had expected it, but until now it had been but just a baseless assumption of mine.

To hear from the Atlesian liaison that this was actually something that almost happened? A curious detail that would surely help up in the future.

People were noticing my presence and, if Atlas started to question about my existence, so would Vale and Mistral.

And that would be quite a difficult kind of celebrity to face as Salem was always watching for curious individuals to either recruit or kill if those refused her offer.

What a drag, would a certain Jojo say at the cruelty bestowed to my fate.

Ironwood stiffened at the simple request, wasting a moment or two to consider the proposal before letting out a hesitant nod.

"While I can allow such condition to pass in a semi-formal circumstance," He paused to stress up his point. "I'm sure you can understand that I can't extend such thing during the proper meeting scheduled for the hours after lunch."

...After lunch? I thought it would have been _before_ the meal. The first session, I did expect it to be early enough for us to manage through it without having to deal with other problems prior that.

Yet fate screwed me again and I merely accepted the fact that I was going to deal with some hours of boredom to spend Gods know how.

At least I had Sienna to pester around for some time, just enough to not get butchered by anything coming from anger.

"I can see that being a necessity, sir-"

"James," The man interrupted this time, a small smile visible only partially from the way he was now looking at the road. "I think you have raised a fair point, John."

...I could work with that, I guess.

In the end, after almost an hour of speaking and discussing about general topics which barely scraped at more important details, the convoy ended up stopping as we reached the military building set to be used as a temporary 'embassy' for the current visit.

We were given a single room and a pair of guards to keep a look out for us and onto us as we were allowed to wander around the city until lunch-time.

Two hours worth of doing something rather than being stuck indoors without much to do as I was fairly sure a military-owned establishment had anything even remotely close to 'normal' TV.

Atlas military was just far too strict to allow something as 'distracting' as that to even exist within the premises of its discipline-based hierarchy.

Sienna and I decided to go for that promised walk, my interest in seeing the fullest of Atlas being now displayed as the chance to get some answers was here for me to grasp.

The wandering was monitored by three soldiers, their visors hiding their hair, face and expression as those followed us around wherever we went.

It was mostly unnerving, but then the situation changed when we decided to enter the park and… I ended up encountering someone I had but just seen a glimpse off from a portrait in the series.

* * *

Nicholas Schnee huffed as he tried and almost failed to keep up with the giggling children playing tags with him.

Weiss was the loudest of the two, little happy tears falling as she was having the one of the best moments of her childhood, Winter sharing the same bright smile as the two girls continued to play around with their grandfather.

The park had been perfectly secured by the family's bodyguards as to avoid any unwanted attention from journalists or worse people, giving them the full chance to fully enjoy the day as a family rather than a picture in a frame.

Willow was sitting by one of the benches, the woman smiling kindly as she shared some time with her youngest child. In a light-blue crib, little Whitley was gurgling happily at the loving care of his mother, the toddler enjoying the affection coming from the beautiful lady.

The former Huntress hummed a little song, playing with her son's little hands and mimicking what seemed to be some little extravagant dance. The child loved the new activity, a little giggle muffled by his pacifier but still reaching out for his mother.

And that reaction was more than enough to lift her hopes of success up.

Without Jacques around, her husband having to prepare his own speeches and possibly to fabricate some proof to add to his credibility, the four Schnees were left to appreciate their free day away from the books and the usual isolation forced by the former Gelé heir.

But that wasn't the only interesting detail of that important day that Willow felt happy to know of.

While the committee had garnered major popular interest for the rarity of the entourage invited for the occasion, the very thing that made it truly unique and crucial for Jacques was that he was implied over a possible scandal, a fraud of non-negligible size that would have easily seen him ousted from the Company if proved to have happened.

The magnitude of the eventual humiliation was extremely high, mostly because the event has happened through the non-developed bank in Menagerie.

Relationships weren't hostile with the Faunus-dominated nation, they were actually the warmest since the last decades spent in efforts to introduce business on the pseudo-kingdom.

Efforts that came directly from the other businessmen that were part of the Council and wished to expand somewhere where the SDC wasn't as prominent as it was in almost all the countries in Remnant.

And with this little issue, with this blatant attempt to 'undermine' a nation's economic sovereignty, the relations between Atlas and Menagerie were surely going to suffer a major blow.

A blow so big that some heads would have to roll for the sake of making up the damage caused to the 'Grand Kingdom'.

It had been utter and pure dumb luck that had seen this opportunity to rise to the attention to the council, the Chieftain of the island himself had barged in with these news through some heated messages.

Angry demands, questions and a call for proper justice.

Something that was difficult to stomach for many individuals here in Atlas, but also something far more hideous to ignore out of the reputation the Kingdom in the North still had with the other nations.

If Menagerie could have been violated in that manner, then why _wouldn't_ be the case for Vacuo or Mistral.

Vale had already gone through some investigations, the results having been yielded mere days ago and showing no sign of foul play…

But how would Mistral and Vacuo do the same with their current plights. With Mistral having bandits and a government that barely worked and with Vacuo existing only nominally in the map of Remnant, it was impossible for similar cases to be opened up by their respective councils and…

International outcry was just starting to reach out Atlas.

Mantle was tensing up at the growing dissent, the local administrations trying its best to appease the worries of the population but what really caused some serious possibility of real justice to be brought out was the ire of the various men scorned by what Jacques had done behind their back.

In a single discovery, everything the man that she had married had created was sent to shake and soon crumble if some major intervention wasn't approved by the military.

A difficult possibility considering the fact that the SDC had always been at odds with the Atlesian military, mostly because the high leaders believed that the company had to be nationalized by the government to unleash its full potential.

That was never going to happen, of course, and it was all thanks to some legal contracts set up by her father.

The company was secured from nationalization and… her husband was soon to face quite the hostile jury since the committee was made by men and women loyal to Menagerie and the Army.

Something that was actually having Jacques worried if not scared of losing the position acquired as a 'gift' of an arranged marriage.

Willow smiled as her ears were endeared by hearing another happy gurgle from Whitley.

The toddler was truly showing to be turning just like her daughters, her baby boy being as bright as possible under her caring ministrations and hopefully he wouldn't take none of his father's foolish ambition.

There was barely any cloud in the sky and the sun was easy to spot up in the sky, it was truly a good day to spend outdoors rather than to freeze at the horrible cold place that was their mansion.

Yet it was about the time it was starting to get close to lunch that something started to just feel _odd _over some of the bodyguards.

Having been present when her father had picked up those man to work for them a decade or so ago, Willow knew most of them by mere looks and could easily remember their names.

Yet some of the guards just looked _new _and too young to be among those her father had picked years ago.

Her intuition was honed by experience from Atlas Academy and Beacon Academy, her senses sharp enough to understand that something was incredibly wrong about the situation.

There was no interest in giving out their element of surprise and, given the fact that she had left her weapon back home…

This wasn't a good situation, truly not the best possible.

Gritting her teeth behind her lips, her eyes fixed on her father, Nicholas still unaware of the problematic issue at hand and that meant that he wouldn't be able to help if the escalation came to happen.

It was an uneasy peace that followed the next fifteen minutes and then-

"For the White Fang!" One of the impostors yelled as he deployed an electric staff, but instead of attacking the woman and the toddler, the assaulting group rushed towards… her father and her daughters.

A shriek formed in her throat, but the utter shock prevented her from releasing it. It's been just too long since she had last took part to some serious action and… it was as horrible as she remembered it to be.

But differently from back to her prime self, Willow was just too rusty to keep up with the sudden development.

Time seemed to slow down as the attackers were close to reach the unaware old man, the Schnee patriarch turning around barely in time to see the Anti-Aura blade approaching his neck and-

**Schlink!**

Blood was spilled, red liquid falling to the ground, but no head was rolling off her father's body.

Nicholas Schnee looked shocked, his reactivity allowing him to properly dodge in time the strike just as it was_ deflected by a now bleeding knuckle that had uppercut the sword away._

The owner of the now-damaged hand was sporting a major flinch on his face, the pain surely being considerable enough to halt many normal individuals but-

_**Crack!**_

This gentleman in particular seemed to not be like many others. His undamaged fist slammed squarely on the shocked assailant's face, shattering his sunglasses and his jaws by the sound of it.

Crumpling on the floor, the attacker was the first of many to be targeted by the new arrivals.

Two of them were engaged by a…_ Feline_ Faunus at first sight, the ears were difficult to properly describe with the way the woman moved, a tanned blur that savagely attacked the impostors with a whip-like weapon.

Three soldiers arrived too and started to target the other lone aggressors while making sure to not hit any of the real bodyguards.

The whole engagement lasted about five minutes, the fighting terrorizing her children as Whitley started to cry in his crib at the loud noises while Winter and Weiss kept close to their grandfather as the conflict persisted while the elder went to check at the groaning young man that had intervened and saved his life.

The brunet was half-crouched, now the pain perfectly visible from her perspective as Willow had a clear path to the specific wound.

Blood was still spilling and some of the knuckled had been halved, sparing just the bones from the horrible strike much to the stranger's dumb luck.

It was in that moment that the mother saw the Faunus rush towards the two men, her eyes narrowed on the wounded one and she had that familiar _worried-angry_ kind of look only women were mostly aware of how to use it so well.

What followed next could only be described as the perfect comedy… ignoring the previous exchange of attacks between aggressors and guards.

A slap echoed through the area as the Tiger Faunus hand slammed strongly on the young man's exposed face drawing a surprise yelp while also getting him to focus on her.

"What was that?!" She shrieked angrily. "'I have a plan'? Did you seriously thought even for a moment that the blade could have done much worse by_ punching its edged side?!_"

The human blinked. "I'm sorr-"

Another slap, this time less powerful than the first one but the effect was just as similar as the previous one. "Don't apologize for me, John. That was dumb, stupid and-" The Faunus stopped, her glare persisting for a little while more before she glanced with a furious look at the wound. "We need to see that wound checked by some medic."

"S-Sienna, it's not that ba-" Before John could finish, Sienna's hands went underneath his armpit and… she lifted him off the ground.

"That is not negotiable." The demand was clear and the young man seemed shocked by the development itself as much as the others at the park were.

"Ugh- Am I just a little to he-" The human shut down quiet as the woman glared at him with an intense glare.

"Your privilege to talk has been rescinded until you are looked up by some doctor," She turned at the three soldiers, the men looking fairly surprised by the outburst but hardly displaying any of the inner shock within themselves. "We need to return back to the embassy- he is bleeding profusely-"

They nodded and, without giving a chance for the others to react, the group that had helped them to survive that assassination attempt.

There was silence at first as they disappeared from sight, the surreal scene leaving everyone confused, quiet and incredibly confused. Did Willow mention confused?

But the silence was then broken by the snort and hack coming from Nicholas Schnee, the man looking fairly elated despite the recent horrible ordeal and close-up encounter with death itself.

"To think that someone like him would be more brazen than expected!" He replied loudly, ignoring the eyes on him. "Now I'm sure of it, Jacques' days are numbered now that this youngster is going against him."

The proclamation didn't give any familiar hint to whatever had just happened, yet the mentioning of her husband and the fact that this young man, this foolish individual that had punched a blade without Aura, was someone that was meant to be part of what would end her marriage-

Her eyes widened, her mind flashing in realization as the name used to depict that pained face now matched with the full identity of this little vigilante.

Willow couldn't believe but, now she could see why her husband was going to have serious trouble with John Bukharin and why this individual looked so much interesting like her father had told her.

The blunt but unexpected reaction, it was effective but put on his body a little handicap in the form of a painful gash that almost hindered any further action.

It was difficult to predict, incredibly unorthodox in his ways and… the woman couldn't help but want to know more about this mysterious player in this final chessboard for her hopes away from this unhappy marriage.

Minutes passed but the police and some more soldiers arrived to arrest and remove the assassins off the park's ground, the family given the opportunity to retreat back to their mansion.

But while they were on their back home, Willow continued to think about this new element in the game and, for some reason, she felt taken back to the wacky days spent at Beacon.

_**It was just like… back in that school.**_

* * *

**AN**

**It's been far too long since the MC got hurt. Here is the blood, here is the glory!**

**Also yes, the episode could be a possible theory behind the lack of Nicholas Schnee as within the manor and why Weiss said that the White Fang had taken 'some of her family members' away from her.**

**Little Notice: Punching the edged-side of a sword isn't fun, if you aren't made of Adamantium, your body isn't resilient to most metal or you are not from Krypton, then I can assure you that it will end up being a painful experience.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**


	16. The sky is blue and so is the Fall (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish. __"_** – Euripides, The Bacchae**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Where the sky is blue and so is the Fall(3)**

* * *

**~John's POV~**

I was doing my best to not give a look at Sienna as I continued to lay in that lone bed of that infirmary bay.

Being rushed to the doctor quite quickly by the panicked group, the medic had to deal with double the worry as usual because of the importance my well-being had compared to other patients he could have treated and because of the furious look that the Tiger Faunus was making no effort to hide to anyone looking at the scene.

The woman literally barged inside the large room, deaf to the guards requesting a permit before letting her inside as she slammed her whole body onto the door, almost tearing it apart with her impressive strength.

One would say that with a wounded individual should be cared with utmost attention, but the concern created by the state my hand currently was ended up bringing quite the fiery reaction out of her and I had my little 'fun ride' before being set in that comfy white bed.

The wound itself wasn't truly that terrible at first analysis; the blade had just missed the bones and the cartilage, just leaving some bloody mess on my injured knuckles that would heal in a few days from now.

Nothing that would leave me with permanent damage or limited functions with the hand, just reducing my capacity to write from that one in particular for some time.

Which was a good thing since that wasn't even my good hand as I had used my lefty.

_**Something that you shouldn't genuinely be proud of. That was a good way to lose an entire hand, luck just decided to spare you and-**_

_I avoided some nasty situation from happening. Did my intervention avoid Nicholas' death?_

_**Considering that he was going to get decapitated, just like it had happened in the original timeline, I reckon that yes, you did avoid having Nicholas Schnee dying from that assassination attempt.**_

_So that's what-_

_**You are ignoring the issue here! That weapon was made with Anti-Aura alloy, you were lucky that your fist moved careful enough to not get too much injured from that confrontation.**_

_I don't want to jab at you about it, but you are making it sound like avoiding this injury mattered more than saving a life-_

_**Considering that I would want to keep things the same as the previous timeline, at least until the best opportunity comes around? Yes, I am furious! You almost created a handicap to yourself when we already have some major issue in the form of a Queen of Grimm trying to kill me.**_

_Oh? And let me ask, would it have been better to wait for Jacques to rise to power, banter some deal and then leave the Schnee family like-_

_**Yes. Yes, it would have made things easier. Considering that we have a massive advantage over Salem and you are wasting all of it… mingling around, it's just-**_

_Infuriating? _

_**Confusing and it brings more unknown elements to the past events. With Nicholas surviving, Gods know how much things will change-**_

_Isn't Nicholas a former Huntsman or something like-_

_**He was a miner, his father was a Huntsman and taught him the basics to survive against Grimm. Why do you want to know that?**_

_Well, now that Nicholas is spared, he would keep hold of the SDC-_

_**And render the chances of having them as allies nigh-impossible. With Nicholas in power, Winter will not join the military and Weiss wouldn't have any reason to go to Beacon.**_

_You know what? I think you are… wrong._

_**Beg your pardon?**_

_Willow went to Beacon and surely got a positive experience from it, I think she would be elated to have one of her daughters or her son, maybe even all together, to follow her footsteps, possibly to get them to see the world out of Atlas without having to deal with the political war happening in this kingdom._

_**This isn't a sure thing-**_

_But it leaves me with a better chance of getting this to happen if I play my cards well. I know that she would certainly keep an eye for any 'inspiration' over where to send her children and… if I send mine to Beacon-_

_**She would give it a greater thought than normal, that is easy to see, but the doubt of Weiss being sent or not to Beacon-**_

_Is worth the risk. But I have to ask you something, did you even consider that I had taken into account everything while I was in the middle of acting upon the scene?_

_**I did listen to your 'incensed' thoughts by the time you first felt the pain and how you had to move quickly but-**_

_When I decided to take that wound, I didn't certainly do it out of foolish bravery. Rather, I was the first to notice what was going on and the closest to intervene on the matter as I knew well enough that while Sienna might be fast, she hadn't noticed quick enough the situation. _

_**And you considered yourself as an equal chance to deal with the confrontation? You, someone that doesn't have Aura.**_

_I ran because I saw a win-win situation, one where Nicholas Schnee would survive and avoid the radicalization of the White Fang with his more lenient work policies, one where the Schnee family wouldn't have fractured and led to some apathetic development and one where I wouldn't have to deal myself with Jacques._

_**You still are going to deal with him, especially with the soon-to-be reunion.**_

_Do you think Ironwood asked for-_

_**My advice? It's probable, maybe he did ask out of certainty as you are indeed a new element at the table, someone that is terribly unpredictable as little known to the world.**_

Before I could say more, my trail of thoughts was interrupted as soon as I started to hear a noise coming by the nearby window.

It was the distinct sound that would be heard when… a bird is pecking at some glass.

I turned my eyes at the window, my orbs widening in surprise as I saw a certain raven with red eyes pecking insistingly at the transparent surface.

_Oh no._

_**It would seem like you are going to deal with Ms. Branwen. Good luck with that.**_

The sudden activity was caught by Sienna herself, the Faunus having her eyes fixed at the bird, Raven stopping with her endeavor to return the glance.

Moments of uneasiness and silent prayers went by as I hoped for the young woman to not open that blasted-

"Cra!"

Dammit!

The raven flied inside, perching at the metallic end of the bed to give me a proper glare before it jumped and turned back to the former Huntress, Raven Branwen glancing me with a furious stare as I tried my best to not flinch at her appearance.

"You rushed unarmed against a group of assassins." She wasn't asking, the dark-haired woman was stating calmly and determinedly. "You, a civilian, decided to risk your life without any sureness over your success. Are you stupid?" The bandit leader asked sternly, my nervousness finally branching out onto my face.

"Technically, it worked," I started to reply, trying my best to ignore the two women's combined staring. "And you know what they say about stupid plans that are actually successful-"

"That the one creating them is still stupid," Sienna interjected flatly, her arms crossing underneath her chest. "You don't have much of a leverage to make up with this situation."

"I mean-"

"Didn't you say that you care for your brats?" Raven interrupted with a scowl, the painful jab striking true through my feeble defense. "I wonder how that girl, Nora, would have reacted to hear how foolishly her father would have died-"

I felt furious about that unforgivable attempt to guilt-trip me, my anger spurred almost instantly by that comment.

"You don't have the rights to even bring this up, Raven," I retorted with a dark frown, the woman blinking in surprise at my poisonous tone.

"John-" Sienna tried to jump in but I was not in the mood for conversations.

"Do you both seriously think that I didn't consider the implication, the height of this little wage I had to take just so little ago?" I asked with an irritated tone, my bandages tightening a little as my wounded hand throbbed with the other in relative anger. "That I hadn't thought about what kind of worst scenario I would have to deal with, how things could have gone wrong?"

The Tiger Faunus averted her eyes in shock at that verbal retaliation, causing me to blink and move my sight elsewhere.

I turned my attention at Raven, the woman still surprised but barely fazed by my outburst as she continued to stare at me with some morbid curiosity. Of course the veteran Huntress would have been adept in perceiving

"When I first noticed what was happening, I had to make the difficult decision," I continued, my throat growing sorer by the moment. "Was I going in for some pompous and arrogant reasons? No. Was it some romantic heroism? Super-nope."

"Then why did you do that?" The Branwen asked with a sigh. "If it isn't for anything selfishly selfless, what brought you to go and be the one interrupting the murder?"

"Because it's the good moral thing to do?" I mused loudly, causing both women to glance in surprise at my disappointed look.

"It's impressive how easy it is to ignore the possible death of someone, how easy one can pat their own shoulder and say 'it was not my fault' or that 'it could have not gone differently'," I said before catching a brief pause. "With Grimm, criminals, and other death-creating issues, Remnant has started to accept the idea that death isn't 'that bad' and that intervening isn't even as essential as it should be."

"Are you referring to the way the focus of our ire is about your endangerment compared to the safety of the people that were protected by your quick reaction?" Sienna asked softly, eyes widening a little. "About the fact that-"

"While I appreciate the concern you both have for me and that you are willing to bring some 'sense' to my brain," I stated with a nod. "I still have something else that reminds me of the risks I take when picking a decision instead of another."

I aimed my unharmed index up to my temple.

"Your mind?" Raven guessed, blinking as she spotted me nodding. "So you think that-"

"Every time, moment, second- There is always an instance where I have to come to see what kind of repercussions I could have caused, or I did cause, with what I've chosen to do with dilemmas."

"It's unhealthy-" Sienna tried to jump back in the discussion.

"It keeps my sanity from spiraling out of control because of the paranoia," I interjected with a flat tone. "I know that _not_ everything is dangerous to my existence, but I can't certainly accept that I should just not consider every situation at hand. There are times when the situation might leave me unscathed, there are times when the injury is to be expected in the best case scenario."

"That's still unhealthy," The bandit leader stated resolutely. "You walk a fine thread that could certainly have you fall in the same abyss Ozpin is facing. One of fake omniscience that could really curtail your real morality." She sighed, eyes closing for a moment. "You are a good man, John, but you are also that. A man, a mortal man with flawed ideas and intentions when it comes to some decisions with pressure."

...What?

At my confused look, the Tiger Faunus nodded. "You tend to make horrible decisions when you are under pressure, either the pressure is directed at you or it is the situation itself that leaves you with 'no good choices'."

I blinked at the analysis and… I gave her a frown, ready to protest at that senseless judgment-

Raven suddenly moved closer to the bed and then leaned her face forward, bringing it close to mine and… she did nothing else.

There was no suggestion to anything perverted, so I could only stare in silent shock at that sudden action, her red eyes piercing instantly onto my own stare and forcing me to look away.

"What are you going to do now?" The woman asked calmly, she was there and standing in that position, her pale face close to mine to an uncomfortable degree.

But she was doing nothing about it and… what I'm supposed to do-

_**You are panicking.**_

_U-Uh?_

I blinked and soon I realized what was just happening.

The unexpected approach had left me speechless and thoughtless, just like Raven had just suggested and…

"C-Can you please back away?" I asked the most cautious and polite way possible.

The woman blinked just one last time before nodding, a tiny smirk forming on her face.

"You aren't someone that panic to the point of being unable to fully react, but you tend to forget how to be 'smart' when you are put in difficult predicaments," Sienna commented for her. "That is something you tend to show a lot when we walk back home."

I-It's not that bad-

_**It is.**_

"Still, I'm happy to know that the damage isn't a lasting one," Raven commented, slowly returning by the window. "Next time you end up in this kind of situations, don't expect me to be as lenient as now."

Just as she finished saying this, I saw her opening a portal and frowned. "Already going?"

She glanced back. "Taiyang and Summer are trying to cut Yang's hair," The woman explained with a tight tone, getting a quick flinch out of me as I could expect what kind of hell the two had unleashed in their home. "Qrow took Ruby for a walk by the local park so that she isn't seeing the scene."

Sienna frowned at this but then smirked. "Well, I suppose she took from her mother."

"While I don't like adjusting my hair, I would cut it from time to time as to avoid getting it to interfere with my fighting prowess," The woman admitted without hesitation. "But my daughter is… a little more attached to her locks."

"Good luck," I said with a sigh, getting a wave from Raven before she walked into the portal, the rift closing mere moments later and leaving us to…

Realize that it was about time we had to go for that blasted reunion.

To be fair, my sudden burst of irritation now wasn't without reason as Sienna decided to keep me close as she _pulled_ me around the corridors of the building, ignoring any little glare that would end up appearing to her sight.

Yep, hurt and ignored here.

* * *

**~Sienna's POV~**

The meeting room was quite formal-looking but massive, the themes being the same as most of the rooms here in the Atlesian military-owned building.

A large gray-blue circular table with light-gray chairs all around it, several documentation and papers littering the surface of the furniture as they all started to take a seat with their respective sides.

The unexpected element that Sienna had taken notice right as she pulled an annoyed John inside the room was… that there was a non-negligible number of guests for this specific session.

Some were lawyers, some were economists while the rest was a mix of politicians and journalists preparing for the grand event to start.

A little surprised, Sienna was quite slow to sit down her eyes scanning all over the room in barely-veiled surprised before finally ending with a clear sight over the 'opposing' part.

While General Ironwood and some of other Army officers were sitting by their left side as to express neutrality over the case while representatives of the SDC and Jacques Schnee himself were sitting on the opposite side as theirs.

Her eyes narrowed at the calm-looking leading figure in the organization, the man seemingly unwilling to spare even a look at the Faunus as he kept looking with a neutral look at John.

Soon the noises domineering from the adjourning session ceased at the request of the guards spread all over the area and Ironwood himself decided to be the one to begin this commission.

"Today we are here to discuss about the unique case of embezzlement reported by the leadership of Menagerie," James announced with a formal and polite voice, turning his attention to Jacques and the other representatives. "The Schnee Dust Company has been accused of fraud and economic manipulation by the Bank of Menagerie."

The heir to the company snorted. "Rubbish," He commented with a whisper while looking at his lawyer, the man looking incredibly nervous but extremely careful to not give up anymore info about his current state of mind.

Her feline ears twitched in annoyance, already irritated by staying in the proximity of the dangerous businessman.

It was instinctual, but also common sense as the man had more than once proved to be intelligent enough in using the Atlesian laws to reduce the rights of the Faunus workers, never once considering applying the same with the other human regulars.

Actions that were condemned multiple time in the past and… nothing had gone through with it because of the traditionalist opposition to any investigation over the matter.

Bribery and corruption played big roles too, but it was bigotry that truly won favors for Jacques.

It was so unfair to think that someone like this man could have gotten this much power and political clout to aspire to this situation, enough to try and subvert a blatant violation of international rules.

Yet he was here, looking completely collected and uncaring of the attention he was currently receiving, as if he knew that nothing wrong was going to happen to him and he knew about it.

There was just some worry about this strange calm, her mind quick to remind her that the evidence brought by John would have been more than enough to strike the infuriating bastard down without much of a fuss.

"Mr. Schnee, you are granted the chance of offering your defense at these accusations."

Jacques sighed as he was given the chance to speak first, Sienna continuing to eyeing the fool as his attention was still directed at the maimed young man sitting beside her.

"The accusations forwarded by this weakly-formed entourage can hardly present a clear sight of what is happening over what has truly happened in the last few years, rather it proposes baseless guesses over superfluous data accumulated lazily and inconclusively," He began explaining, picking up a copy of the graphs showing the 'curious' situation that had brought this situation to happen. "The documentation presented contains indeed some suspicious activities, but no proof whatsoever that might entail that those are caused by the SDC. In fact, the spikes presented here are from _four_ distinct lines that are not connected one to another."

He slammed the paper on the table, glaring fiercely at the bored-looking John. "This is why I suspect, having solid proof myself that it is just a ploy from Menagerie to undermine Atlas' stability with such a pretentious claim!"

The journalists were the loudest about this sudden proclamation, the noise of collective tapping by their digital notepad drawing some attention… but nothing from John.

The young man looked unimpressed, rather irritated by the boisterous intervention and, as Ironwood turned towards them, Sienna turned her full attention at the injured human.

He glanced back, blinking and nodding as he slowly got up and spent a moment to glance impassively at the angry-looking Schnee.

"While I would find this patriotic speech quite endearing if it hadn't been build on big words that meant nothing, I think it would be more honest to admit that the consideration allowed by Mr. Schnee is not only partial but also born from terrible knowledge over the subject of simple economics." The jab was visible and many looked surprised at the insult towards the businessman's intelligence.

"This is why I shall enlighten the people here with a more apt language, considering the numbers and the variables that I have to present and introduce for this case. It will all be simplified for the sake of avoiding any confusion or misunderstanding as not everyone here is much aware of some of the general terms of this topic," He said, drawing a brief pause as he took the documents with the graphs listed on them. "The documentation in question, the one that Mr. Schnee used to vilify and put the entire accusation in jeopardy out of spite than logic, are actually deprived of some simple understanding of the Banking system in Menagerie."

Ironwood frowned at this. "I thought that Menagerie accepted the International Bank Act," He commented loud enough to draw a calm look from John.

"That is part of the case, Menagerie considered a special case by Article 324 and 410 of the International Bank Act as it isn't recognized as an independent Kingdom, but rather a 'sub-kingdom' nation." The young man quickly answered, letting no seconds go to waste. "Thus, as per regulations, several limitations are applied for the same of protect the local economy from the competitiveness existing in the four Kingdoms' market and ensuing some rules over the working of the bank itself."

"And what kind of 'limitations' do you wish to point out to this commission, Mr. Bukharin?"

Sienna was quiet, completely surprised by the vast use of complicated words flaunted by her supposed 'aide', someone that wasn't supposed to be taking a major rule in the activity but…

Maybe it was for the best, her nerves still tense towards the SDC and her reasoning a little biased over the matter, enough to bring some unpleasant reactions out of her.

"The limitations in question are about the limits of the bank accounts and the interest rates promoted by the bank itself," He replied carefully, bringing up to attention the files once again. "The Bank allows the creation of multiple accounts by paying a certain fee, increasing the interest rates for those that have multiple bank accounts."

Many journalists and politicians nodded in awe at the system while some of the economists were looking intrigued by the rules present in Menagerie, impressed by this little aspect of history that was easily ignored by many businessmen.

"S-Still it doesn't explain the crime itself and the c-connection to my client," Jacques' lawyer stated with a hint of nervousness. "The documents introduce some individual, yet it is easy t-that someone else could have just used the CCTS system to bypass those obsolete regulations."

John hummed. "Yes, online… well, that would be a good guess if the Bank truly accepted online transactions," The human mused in faux innocence, bringing everyone to a quiet standstill just for some fleeting moments.

"Mr. Bukharin, you are saying that…" Ironwood paused, checking with his team if there were other surprises that he should have been aware of. "The Bank of Menagerie doesn't allow transactions with CCTS-connection?"

"That would be correct, the system disavowed by Menagerie as per the international meeting held in Argus three decades ago because of the limited range of the CCTS-connection that reaches the island."

"So this mean that transactions have to happen in person or via trusted associate."

"That is indeed correct, General," John agreed with a nod. "And that is where the accusations to the Schnee Dust Company are born from."

The young man then started to look through the documentation, fishing out two colored pictures taken by a security camera that were portraying a formal-dressed man entering/leaving from the Bank's entrance.

Jacques sat down with a surprised look, his legal support appearing a little paler than before at the explanation behind the seemingly innocuous evidence.

"I assume that these photos had to seem 'odd' without the proper context, but now that it's clear that the reasoning behind the presence of those, I should introduce this curious individual," The injured speaker announced by bringing up another photo, this one showing the full face of this stoic-looking human. "This is Otto Sedan, prominent economic advisor to the SDC's Board of Directors. This man is tasked to monthly deposit or retire money out of the four bank accounts established under his name."

"Wouldn't that make him a thief? Maybe he stole money and-"

"Not truly, General Ironwood," John interjected with a serious tone. "While the eventuality of this shady individual being a thief had crossed the investigative group in Menagerie, we also confirmed that this wasn't the case by checking on the documents regarding the non-negligible amount of money presented at the Bank. The reason dignified being that it was a 'legitimate gift by the SDC' to Sedan for the sake of… deposit it within the Bank accounts."

"And why would it be a problem if I decided to deposit some money away in Menagerie of all places?" Jacques jumped in with an exasperated tone. "More money would revitalize the bank and-"

"It would actually be a problem considering you are depositing as a 'single individual' instead as a 'company'," John quipped quickly, interrupting the attempt to turn down the offensive. "Interest rates change immensely between the rule of the 'Individual' and the rule of the 'Collective', the latter receiving much less because they have access to special options in case of bankruptcy, of loans and other important issues that a company could be facing against. So yes, what is happening here with the legitimate documentations here confirmed by the International Economic Treaties is that Mr. Schnee has committed a massive fraud crime against Menagerie _AND _the Kingdom of Atlas."

People were now stirring at this angry statement, numerous politicians were now openly-glaring at Jacques, the businessman looking horrified by what was just happening in that escalation.

John turned his attention to Ironwood and nodded. "This is the full and detailed explanation of accusations, I think I will end my turn here."

Before any of the SDC's representatives could try to bring up some defense about the case, the lawyer sighed and nodded at the arbitrator.

"We concede our time for this session and we request that the session for tomorrow is pushed a two hours later than planned," The man glanced at his client with an annoyed look, causing the heir to look incredibly uncomfortable. "There is some evidence that I wish to study a little more about the case."

James nodded with a perplexed look. "It will be conceded, but I expect the presentation of any new proof two hours prior to the original date. This session is adjourned."

Noise resumed louder than before, numerous journalists trying to instantly break through the wall of guards separating them from the Menagerie Entourage.

Sadly, Sienna was much faster as she helped John up and proceeded to rush out of the room while followed by their bodyguards, their destination… their room.

While the Tiger Faunus tried to sponge up what had just transpired in that eventful day, the human decided to say something that caused her to almost trip.

"Tomorrow is going to be your turn."

Her eyes widened, the tanned woman glancing at the tired-looking young man with a frown. "What?" She asked confusedly.

"I managed to… remove their foundations. The lawyer can't do much about it and I guess they will try to make some faux defense," He explained calmly, drawing a yawn. "We have the spotlight and… tomorrow I want you to shred them with words," He smiled mirthfully. "Not with your claws."

The Faunus snorted and shook her head. "And what do you think I should say?"

The human pulled a half-shrug. "Whatever you can say that is offensive, polite and good publicity for Menagerie as a nation, I reckon."

Blinking at that strange advice, Sienna ended up spending the rest of the day genuinely trying to write down something that could work with that ugly mug that was Jacques Schnee, keeping her phrasing cautious but also entertaining to some.

She then ended up presenting the content to the tired John, the young man close to fall asleep in the small couch in their room and he snorted…

_**Before starting to giggle at certain 'not-so-polite' words that may or may not have passed through her 'impartial' filter.**_

_**Of course, some corrections would ensue for victory's sake.**_

* * *

**AN **

**First round against Jacques, I reckon he was given a sudden and unforgiving kick below the belt.**

**Little economics, nothing too difficult and I had a 'blast' trying to find an appropriate quote for this chapter.**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Bartholomew Black****: I don't think there are any crazy snipers around- (look at baby Ruby playing happily with a full-fledged copy of Crescent Rose, eyes filled with hope, dreams and her little hand playing with the trigger) Oh frick!**

**NazgulBelserion****: That is called a lemon and it might happen.**

**Blaze1992****: Assassination attempt by jerk son-in-law.**

**Megabyte97****: I wish to thank you for the kind words and the genuine interest in the story. Now, about the answer that will give clarity over the matter: John Bukharin is a moron. A smart moron, but still an average moron with no major experience in dealing with real-life quick-time events. While cunning can do so much in the indirect and non-dangerous manner, John's capacity to think during dangerous time is particularly hindered and somewhat close to a child's brain reaction. He will get better the more the story unfold, this is his flaw and it will allow him to get some solo development too. **


	17. The sky is blue and so is the Fall (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_To save a life is a real and beautiful thing. To make a home for the homeless, yes, it is a thing that must be good; whatever the world may say, it cannot be wrong.__"_** – Vincent Van Gogh**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Where the sky is blue and so is the Fall(4)**

* * *

**~Sienna's POV~**

The plan was simple… or at least that was what her mind was constantly repeating to her.

An attempt to keep her worries away from her composure, at least enough to give her the edge to not fall in any of the various escalations that her inner nervousness and anger were so eagerly yanking her towards.

Not that Sienna was truly 'afraid' of giving a proper end to this defeat for Jacques Schnee, actually she was eager to see the closure of this feeble defense from the businessman and bring a new milestone to their cause.

…

It was odd, the Tiger Faunus mused softly as she ventured the halls of the building, preparing for the grand finale of this little theatrical mess, and her hands were carefully handling the two pages filled with strong but careful words that she will have to make use of.

Either repeating those in the proper cases unraveling with this last push to get this commission to pass some serious edicts or even invent in a creative but mindful way some answers to any eventual questions asked by the lawyer.

John had been quite certain that this final session was going to offer just a little cessation of the current situation, now that they had won before 'judges, jury and executioners', it was time to bring a passionate personality to exalt this victory.

Something that the human couldn't quite yet express for two specific but legitimate reasons: Not only had he joined the White Fang quite recently and his position was still uncertain (but not for too long if the situation conclude as happily as predicted), but he was a human and, in the eyes of Atlas' people, still someone that couldn't certainly_ praise too much the animals_.

Some were still skeptical over his commitment, but it would be even worse if he was the only one that had to speak for the occasion as it would undermine terribly the Fang/Menagerie's current standing.

As the official representative for this special event, Sienna knew that there was no way out from avoiding verbal confrontations now more than even as things were reaching its formal sealing.

Was she ready for this? She felt nervous, there was no point to lie over something that was distinctly weighting over her thoughts.

But it wasn't the kind of nervousness about messing things with what she had, but rather the Faunus knew that her emotions didn't make her the best of diplomats.

The young woman could hold well against simple officers and 'no-name' industrialists, but to bare a calm mind in front of Jacques Schnee?

The only reason she had been able to keep up an exemplar attitude before the man the day before was because her whole attention had been taken by the cautious words used by John to unbalance his 'opponent'.

With her mind tuning back to the human that was currently and 'willingly' kept back to the medical bay of the building for some more check-ups, her mind couldn't help but bring up the very annoying but also confusing bit of the night before.

Sienna didn't get much sleep that day. Even trying to tire herself out by merely closing her eyes and think over the complex mess she would have to deal with didn't seem to bring any of the hoped results.

The room was quiet, the only noises coming from the lone human sleeping softly on the little couch of the room.

His bandaged arm was still lying on his chest while the young man continued to lie on that piece of furniture.

The positioning was awkward considering that part of his legs stood out from the length of the couch, his socked feet waving mid-air as he continued to… sleep.

It was difficult to discern if he was dreaming or not, but the lack of discomfort on his face was… actually very comforting for her.

The simple expression of resting, his eyes closed and his lips barely open to let out some little snoring while he continued with his eased slumber.

The young woman could remember having her eyes fixed at that calm expression, the room was barely-lit and dim, but being a Faunus her sight allowed to give proper looks in the dark.

She blinked, then again and…

Sienna blinked right early in the morning as John folded back the little white sheet he had been given while asleep.

It was morning alright, the light coming from the half-closed windows shining onto the lower section of the bed.

The rest of that preparation phase proceeded smoothly, the Tiger Faunus hiding from the blissfully-unaware human about her confusing take on sleep.

It had been so sudden and… so pleasantly uneventful.

While she couldn't get any dreams from that little rest, at least she didn't have to face any of her usual nightmares.

An energizing dreamless slumber was actually something important as she then considered the burdened day that awaited her.

Little worries, but an incredible amount of concern about any unexpected developments.

This was the first time she had to deal with something that required so much thinking and planning, well-beyond the classic tasks she had been facing with the White Fang.

Sure, helping with administrative issues had given her some knowledge over what had brought the entire world's angry hammer down on Atlas, everybody had to get quite irritated when someone starts to 'cheat' around the basic rules and laws of economics, but this conclusive part was sure going to bring to her some little chances to bring forwards some of the message of her group.

John had been quick to shot down a full speech about the cause, pointing out that this wasn't a rally and she had to impress some stubborn crowd instead of a downtrodden group of citizens.

Those were the kind of people that mostly didn't have any issues with the Faunus themselves, but they were mostly neutral to the problems about the mistreatment and the 'missing rights' for the Faunus workers.

It was irking that some people preferred 'ignorance' to doing the right thing and… it wasn't her duty to do so.

She was here to represent an issue, first as a diplomat of Menagerie and then, if the opportunity truly allows her, to bring up something about the White Fang.

There wasn't much to speak about even if she wanted, Ghira had been quite clear in stating that this was a national-based visit and that any voicing of their cause would only alienate the proper course of justice.

Infuriating, there was no end for her bubbling anger, but the strong emotion was already quarantined in the deepest corner of her mind.

She sighed as she finally as the large room was once more opened and… the same disposition was there to look at.

Journalists and rich people to one of the corners, Jacques and his little group to one of the table's side with the military representatives led by James Ironwood sitting by the edge of the table.

Sienna didn't hesitate to carefully take a seat, instantly feeling quite anxious with the lack of someone else beside her.

By deciding to leave John to some proper check-up, she was going to stand alone against Jacques.

Which in theory wasn't truly a horrifying scenario as she could easily dismantle the smug fool, yet her grasp over her emotions would surely… falter without someone to keep a look on her.

As the session was adjourned and silence descended by the spectators' section, General Ironwood formally reintroduced the entirety of the room to the current state of things and… the mustached moron looked fairly annoyed by the retelling of yesterday's happening.

His lawyer looked just a little fazed by the words, his attention directed at the lone paper sitting right by the section of the table in front of him.

The rest of the group looked even more disappointed by how things had turned out to be, Jacques looking even more annoyed by the way some had even 'missed' the appointment by the gloomy standing they were in.

The SDC had never looked this frail before the people, or at least the leadership never did under Nicholas Schnee's care.

The old man had recovered from the ordeal from few hours ago and had been quick to dismiss any worrying injuries on himself or any other members of his family, but he was quite elated to divulge the identity of those that had intervened against the assassination attempt.

Tabloids mentioning relentlessly about the full development of the day before, between the attack on the Schnee family by some 'fraud White Fang members' (of which Jacques was particularly quiet about to the journalists asking about the infiltration in his family's bodyguards) and the utter destruction of that superfluous attempt to counter the accusation directed at the man.

She was calm, or at least calmer than before when the lawyer was given the means to speak first and he seemed quite uneasy with his tone.

"We would like to ask for a fair settlement for the case brought up to this commission," The man spoke with a tense tone. "My client, Jacques Schnee, is willing to pay as a compensation for the damage given to the local bank of Menagerie as sum equal to 3 millions Liens."

Some people gasped at the tall number, while a little group of investors merely snorted at such proposal and Sienna was well-aware as of why.

But before she could have said anything over it, Ironwood decided to jump at the end of such sentence.

"And by _fair settlement_, you wish to repay only _**a fourth**_ of the damage inflicted to the bank, Mr. Schnee?" The General asked with a serious voice, eyes narrowed on the lawyers as the man merely gulped nervously at the development.

"W-While my client would be more than happy to dispense a rightful amount, t-there is actually a major rule that can't allow any higher amount than this."

Sienna blinked in surprise at the unexpected reply, the Tiger Faunus turning at the military officer leading the commission.

Sadly, it was Jacques to speak.

"By referring to yesterday's mentioning of the International Bank Act, specifically articles 571 and 573, 'a private company or an organization not tied to any of the kingdoms cannot and shan't allow the transaction of a sum superior to 3 million Liens to the treasury of a single nation in any circumstance'," The mustached man explained with a somewhat less determined tone. "Despite Menagerie being considered a 'Sub-Kingdom', it still does count as a 'Nation' and thus is applied to the rule."

...WHAT?!

That- That bastard-!

Anger bubbling even more than before, it took the young woman some moments of silence to avoid letting a snarl out for the world to see.

This little trick seemed to have come out of nowhere, the incredible reduction of the compensation not only would barely dent at the company's overall capacity to try again… but it also turned this victory in a shallow one.

Just like with the Faunus Rights Revolution's one.

Endless thoughts filtered within her mind as she pondered over this unexpected development, her eyes settling on the notes left by the human still by the medic bay and… she blinked.

There was some tension in the entire room, with Ironwood checking properly on the rules admitted by the leader of the SDC and… she blinked again, this time her whole body going briefly still as a minor realization struck.

John had been incredibly confident of success, but he had never mentioned about how things were supposedly going to end for that situation.

It was a win, there was no denying of it, but this little obstacle had to have been seen by the young man before it all came out.

Then Sienna thought back at the strange drive from John to have her mention the cause of Faunus, never being much of a 'fanatic' with his determination over the Fang's duty and yet he had seemed fairly pushy over the matter.

The little web continued to appear in a detailed and complex display of plans and contingencies, ending right to the little issue presented there.

And the solution for this specific problem was-

"Miss Khan, do you accept this settlement or do you wish to bring a counter-offer?"

Eyes going wide at being yanked back to reality, the Tiger Faunus blinked one last time before… sighing.

"We refuse this miser compensation, General Ironwood-" The tanned woman replied with a cautious tone, already noticing a snort from Jacques. "But I wish to present a counter-offer that best represents the term 'fair'."

The Atlesian officer nodded quietly. "Please do explain your proposal."

"Menagerie shall not request any direct compensation from the Schnee Dust Company," Sienna began, bringing out some surprised looks from the spectators, and a small smile was now in full display on her face. "But we wish for a proper retribution for those that were truly hurt by this heinous crime."

She blinked, her smile widening as she prepared to drop the final words. "The people of Atlas."

…

Everyone looked confused at this new development, most of the spectators looking confused if not curious about what the young woman was talking about.

"Care to explain what you are referring to, Miss Khan?" Ironwood questioned, looking particularly surprised by the choice of words.

"The Schnee Dust Company is an organization that publicize its influence and correct attitude towards its workers, the proper rights applied to the various people joining within the group to make it one of the most important and well-known brand in the world," Sienna started to explain with a sigh. "They have legal obligations to make sure they are operating within the regulations, which is not the case as seen in this commission, and all workers are guaranteed to a safe and stable environment during their jobs and… sadly, this is not the case too."

There was just a little pause, something to give her some precious time to assemble something to offer without losing the currently-gained momentum.

"Many are surely thinking I'm just referring to the Faunus living here in Atlas and, while my pledge to my people is moral-bound, I find myself saying that they aren't the only victims of this predicament," She said with a serious and saddened voice. "In fact, despite the large presence of complaints about the current work conditions for Faunus, only a few journalists have also mentioned the horrible instances of abuse towards _human workers_."

The crowd exploded in gasps and loud words as people were incensed by this situation, some of those reporters mentioned were among the group and… one of them stood out by lifting his hand up.

"General Ironwood, I would like to speak, sir," The man waved his hand at the table. "What Miss Khan just said is true."

The leading figure of the military entourage blinked at that. "Considering the situation and the lack of much proof of Miss Khan's statement, I will allow just a witness to confirm the news." The man nodded and gestured the reporter to move closer, the guards making way as the blond-haired man sighed as he walked by the table and took the seat previously used by John the day before.

"Please introduce yourself with name, last name, affiliations and relation to the case," Ironwood continued, following the standard procedure used even yesterday.

"My name is Forest Parakeet and I work for the Daily Mantle News as a contracted reporter," The newly-introduced 'Forest' muttered quietly if not disgruntled somehow. "And my relation to the case is a confirmed article I've written three months ago about a peculiar case of bribery happening by one of the SDC-owned factories sited by the outskirts of Atlas."

The General frowned. "Can you please specify which one in particular?"

Not a terrible request considering the non-negligible number of factories sprawling by the edges of the Kingdom's capital.

"Uh… I reckon it was Factory 642C, it was reviewed by the military just a month before I personally investigated over the growing complaints of lacking guarantees over some of the malfunctioning devices there, some people having suffered wounds during work," The journalist replied with a blunt but detailed summary of his work.

"You said it was reviewed by the army," Ironwood frowned at the news. "Can you give some more about this part of the story?"

The blond sighed but nodded. "It was Lieutenant Braddock, tall and lanky guy that was dismissed last month for some crazy stuff."

James sighed tiredly, trying to ignore the informal tone.

"Lieutenant Jacob Braddock was discharged after failing to defend against accusations of bribery and embezzlement," He explained curtly, displeased by the fact he had to bring up such a dishonorable discovery. "The army has yet to check on his last work, but we will make sure that this particular review and others that any of your colleagues are willing to forward will be checked thoroughly before the end of the month."

Stern, confident and incredibly efficient. The response barely got a reaction from the reporter as the blond merely shrugged and nodded at the promise.

"Now that this is confirmed," Ironwood stated with a calmer tone, "Let us return to the main topic. What kind of compensation do you have in mind, Miss Khan?"

Sienna blinked, her smile rising up again but this time she was careful enough to not spoil the fun too quickly.

"We have two conditions in particular," The Tiger Faunus said with a resolute voice. "First, we wish for the SDC to repay **three fourths** of the damage by bringing proper rights and regulations to the Faunus workers in its facilities," A brief pause, enough to gauge a little disappointment from the crowd but… here's the sweet treat. "And to repay **two fourths **of the damage to regulate properly the current rights of human workers in its facilities."

The effect was immediate. From the slight annoyance at bringing up Faunus as the initially-sole winners of the cause, a resounding roar of praise emerged by the spectators' section.

Many journalists were happy of the good development, while businessmen were rejoicing at the fact the SDC was meant to receive a major blow to its current economic state.

Jacques was bursting in rage at such offer while his lawyer paled but seemed uncertain over the countering of such proposal.

"That's preposterous-" The man tried to oppose, but… Sienna wasn't done yet.

"The second condition is that… Jacques Schnee publicly and formally apologize before the citizens of Menagerie _**and**_ Atlas for the terrible crime perpetrated by his leadership of the organization."

"And the Atlesian Military shall make sure both conditions are respected if the offer is accepted," The General nodded, a tiny ghost of a smile showing yet he kept looking serious even then. "Still, I wish to remind Mr. Schnee and his lawyer that this offer is indeed fair as it works to benefit the people of Atlas as a whole."

The crowd didn't shy away from agreeing to such comment and Jacques turned even redder at how his little plan had failed too.

He was so close to growl like an 'animal', but he stopped to furiously whisper at the lawyer, the poor man sighing tiredly as he stood up and nodded.

"We will accept the offer, General Ironwood… and Miss Khan."

The reaction from the spectators was just as explosive as it had been the day before as they had witnessed a major victory 'against a fraud and a criminal.'

Sienna didn't bother minding around and she was glad that the reporter beside her didn't decide to ask her any questions, Forest merely shrugged before leaving to reach his colleagues as the conclusion to this case was announced.

With this done, her leave was quick and quiet as her mind was set on finding a certain individual.

Someone that could- no, _**should have told her that there had been a little ambush planned instead of letting her receive a minor heart attack!**_

With the two guards still following her behind as the woman entered the medical bay, they all stopped at the sight of an empty bed.

There were no doctors there, no nurses… and no John.

Yet there was a clue sitting by the messy bed left behind, a piece of paper with something written on it.

'**Doing some good deed, will be back by dinner~**'

…

THAT UTTER SON OF A-

* * *

**~John's POV~**

I know, I know.

It sounds dumb for me to be wandering around without giving some proper message to a _lovely and understanding _Tiger Faunus, but the reason that drove me to follow this little red-haired Bull Faunus leading me right where his home was, a certain disgraced doctor following us both with a sigh or two along the way.

…

Okay, some context might be needed before we proceed from this point but I can already say that there is some logical explanation behind the insane mess I just jumbled in.

When Sienna had left me to suffer once again the horrible experience that is lying on a hospital's bed to get some doctor to check on my wound, I had thought that my time here at Atlas would have been quite… slow and uneventful.

Safe but also boring and incredibly limiting considering the vast amount of things I could do with this opportunity.

Still, despite my lack of means of going around the place without a proper reason, I found myself waiting for… something to happen.

After an hour of silence spent there, I expected the next 'exciting' event would have been Sienna returning with a victorious if somewhat confusing result.

I wasn't truly certain of what Jacques was going to try before the commission with all the cards stacked against him, but considering the shrewd businessman he is, I didn't think he would have settled down with little resistance.

Imagine my surprise when finally my 'own' doctor finally arrived to the room, huffing with a tired posture while nodding at the guards waiting by the entrance.

Mustache wriggling and a certain scowl in display, I was completely caught off-guard when the incredibly familiar, younger but still-the-same man decided to introduce himself.

"My name is Arthur Watts, Mr. Bukharin, and I've been assigned to… assist you with your injury." He said with a quiet tone, quite spent considering the kind of character I was more accustomed too.

Here is Watts, the hacker that turned the robotic fleet of Atlas against its owners during the Fall of Beacon and probably a reincarnation of James Moriarty.

The man was shunned by Atlesian society after some misconduct that wasn't much detailed about, so much was shady about this man and…

He was a depressed fellow. It didn't take me that much to see how self-hating he felt about himself, the man going to a slug-pace as he went through the regular procedure of the check-up.

Ignoring Ozpin's loud and possibly - and genuinely – legitimate claims over the man as a threat to us, since he was part of Salem's Inner Circle in the original timeline, I decided to tempt my current predicament by seeing if I was in danger or not.

After all, it was never mentioned _when_ Watts joined Salem and from his current attitude I could only deduce he had yet to be recruited.

Which brought to be a juicy but needy issue that could easily turn in the best opportunity to gain a resourceful ally in the long run.

I was no Dio Brando, but I was still capable of bringing a connection out of little with this disheartened man.

Someone that was betrayed by his colleague for money, horribly framed with fake accusations and robbed of the chance of becoming the most brilliant man in the kingdom.

The story which I partly expected from someone like him, but to hear him give emotion instead of keeping a formal and careful behavior around a 'complete stranger' was enough to offer me even more insight over his nature.

A misunderstood man with a growing disdain over society as a whole, his husk of a life drained of any meaningful note to explore...

_...Why do I feel the need to call Todd Phillips?_

Just as expected, after another hour of careful probing and intervening in the right moments seemed to get him to open up and warm up to some pleasant conversation.

His pace picked up a little more and soon we were discussing about some philosophical questions over life, death and the meaning of everything.

I was a realism-believing thinker, a theoriser and a man born with science and religion in a somewhat harmonious blend so that whole topic became quite easy to endure for some time.

Arthur was quite eager in inquiring left and right, still politely and mindful of the situation we were in, and would be entertained in finding any matching thoughts over some of his own ideas or even finding some newer but more logical solutions to metaphysical problems.

Before the talk ended up taking the entire time I had there, our attention was quickly deprived by the sudden noises coming by the entrance as one of the guards was groaning while kneeling on the ground as his partner held up the arm owned by the one responsible for the flinch-inducing attack.

It was a young boy, not as young as Ren but maybe a little older than he looked considering how tattered his clothes were and how bony he looked from my initial perspective.

His hair were spiky but quite short, a mix of red with specks of dark-brown here and there, a little eyepatch over his right eye while his left one was a bright cerulean.

I didn't need to think further to know whom I was looking for in that very moment.

Even as a child, Adam Taurus looked as vicious as he would end up becoming with how he was struggling so vehemently against the tight hold of the unharmed guard, yanking and yelling as he failed to accomplish freedom from it.

But maybe I was being too hasty as children were generally like this… but why would he be there.

I could understand the logic of Watts being there because he was also a medical doctor and that his brilliancy is something of a guarantee to a quick recovery for my wound but…

Why was little Adam here of all places?

I didn't wait too long to ask Watts to see what was going on and to let the child in the room, the doctor quick to say that it wouldn't be good to have someone unknown, even someone as young as the little Faunus, enter the room without a proper control.

I sighed and pressed on, calling in the mythical 'gut feeling' that the kid had something important to say and, after sparing a silent stare about the matter while contemplating over what to do, Watts went to the guards and told them to let the boy inside.

There were some minor protests but soon the boy was indeed allowed to get close to where I was.

He looked nervous at the new development, but he didn't shy away as he tensely give a quick bow towards me.

"I-I'm Adam Taurus a-and- you are J-John Bukharin," He stated, a half-introduction that left me with a quizzical look for just a few moments before I gave him a calm nod.

"Hello Adam and yes… that is my name."

His visible eye seemed to lit before he seemed ready to cry.

"Y-You cares for Faunus, right? You do, r-right?" His tone slumped into desperation there and he sniffed. "P-Please sir, I-I know I shouldn't be there- a-and my mom is sick and- she is ill-"

My eyes widened the more he spoke, the hyperventilating child getting me quite panicking myself as it seemed fairly urgent.

Without hesitation, I interrupted him by bringing my good hand on top of his hair and gave him a pat. "You don't need to feel guilty of anything, kid," I muttered quietly. "Can you tell me what kind of illness?"

He nodded, so innocently and so frailly. "S-She is coughing a lot and- she was coughing blood-"

Gritting my teeth, I patted his head again and stood out from my bed.

"What are you-" Watts tried to ask, but I sighed.

"Kid's mother seems to need a good doctor, Arthur, and I reckon you wish to do some good with your skills," I said with a huff, taking Adam's little hand on my own. "So why not now that you have the chance?"

"I'm your doctor, John, and Miss Khan-"

"Knows that I'm an adult and that emergencies are a must," I interrupted again, then I turned to the child. "Adam, can you lead us where your mother is?"

He blinked, surprise and shock filling this little kid.

He wasn't even ten, he was too short and… so desperate.

_**He is going to become a butcher, to help him would-**_

_Give him a proper chance at life._

I didn't need Ozpin right now, especially with how things have turned recently and so… we departed from the medical bay with a hasty pace.

The guards were skeptical, but since I still had more influence over them than a certain _lovely and understanding_ Tiger Faunus, they were already escorting us out of the building, following the three of us as we were led by the child right by the outskirts of the city.

Much to my shock, I discovered that Atlas did have a district that resembled to Mantle with its popular houses, yet surprisingly enough it was much worse than the city down below.

Everything looked so rundown and decaying, the people there wearing some of the worse clothes… and they were all Faunus.

It was a ghetto, the little gates around the area further cementing the idea that this was a cultural-limited section of the capital.

I felt bile rising at the revelation, but I held back even after we were led inside one of those rotting buildings, Adam showing us to the little room that was… his home.

It was small, _so unfairly small._

I blinked, nose clenching and eyes flinching as I perceived the strong smell of smoke emanating all around and… it was disgusting.

Right by one of the corners was a little mattress with sheet, a young woman coughing with a blooded facemask with her eyes closed.

She was half-awake and her long red hair with two distinct little horns protruding from the top of her head made it clear that it had to be the young boy's mother.

The child let go of my hold, rushing by her side as he quickly switched the stained facemask with a new, unblemished one.

"I-I'm back, mom-" He said with a trembling but loud voice, enough to get the woman to slowly open her eyes and stare at the kid. "I-I brought help-"

She blinked and stared at us. In a normal circumstance, someone in her state should have panicked at the presence of two strangers… but she hardly seemed to care at this point.

I quickly moved by her side and took hold of her wrist, checking on her pulse while Watts started to rummage on his medical bag and soon he was by her side too.

There was palpable tension and Adam looked at the scene with wide eyes and an afraid look, something I could notice only because I was sparing some glances at him as I was uncertain over what to do with this advanced case of pneumonia.

I had some experience with treatment of Bronchitis after suffering twice of it some years ago, but Pneumonia was something well beyond that experience... and at this late stage I had little hope that Watts could succeed in stabilizing her conditions.

Twenty intense minutes passed, the doctor's mustache wriggling restlessly as the man did the best possible to make sure to help the woman but it was clear from the very beginning that there was no chance of saving her.

_**This is why he kills, this is why he cannot be redeemed.**_

I ignored him, but I flinched at the words used.

_This is unfair._

Arthur backed away as the older Faunus started to slowly move her hands to her face, grasping the mask and pulling it down trembling.

"A-Adam?"

"M-Mom?!" He got closer to her once again, a little pained smile on her face.

_**She is going to die.**_

_I… Can I do something with magic? Something that-_

_**Considering your limited knowledge and practice, I would advise to-**_

_Something like giving her more time! I know that I can't heal this kind of illness, but-_

_**Follow my instructions, we can give her… enough time for treatment.**_

I gulped nervously, the mother was in the middle of giving her last words to her child but I had one of my hands over her shoulders.

She didn't seem to notice, but Adam was glancing at what I was doing as I silently followed the former headmaster's tasks.

It was mostly happening from within and I was quite confused as to what to do with some of the passage.

It was by the final step that I _felt something happen._

This wasn't Jaune's healing semblance, this wasn't something negligible-

I felt like my insides were getting yanked out, sudden and sharp pain shooting through my whole body as I felt my- _**my soul being forced to comply to such unnatural complexity of life.**_

I was- I was breaking rules, important rules- I could feel guilt- **shame and pain, pain, pain and-**

My mind lightened as the brief pain session stopped without notice, just like it had started.

I blinked as I felt my entire body so… tired and unfocused.

I blinked again, I saw Watts rushing back to me, I saw Adam exclaiming my name and… I saw the woman tense up in slight panic before she… sat up on her bed.

_**A solid but soft thud preceded darkness, the last thing I heard being a disappointed sigh from Ozpin.**_

…

...

**[I wonder, what are you?]**

* * *

**AN**

**Conclusion to the first part in Atlas and in classing fainting style.**

_**Dante Alighieri would be so proud of me!**_

**Still, Adam is here and he is 9.**

**Yep, little Adam and he is adorable and… yes, his mother do survive.**

**Why I did that? I have plans. Plenty of plans and no I will not pair her to MC. Have some mercy on the guy, I've plans for romance but… not to Professor Arc's kind of madness.**

**Little shameless plug, I have a RWBY comedy story. What does it mean? Plot is reworked and lightened, pairings are… a thing? Maybe? And the main characters are… an easy-to-anger human and a silly Cat Faunus. Indeed, ****I have a Cat Problem****! (It's not SI/OC-I, the human is a new OC with fairy-talesque name.).**

**P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin**

**k o-fi . com (slash) justbukharin**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blaze1992****: How did you get the second title to that chapter?! xD**

**BartCornMan****: Since several guys have asked about giving a pairing, I have one in mind. But I can't tell~!**

**Guest (Chapter 16)****: I don't think I will include Ace Ops cause they would be too young, I… think I might have some ideas for Happy Huntresses tho. And yes, I watched the video and I literally wasted half an hour to understand what was going on as… we don't have clip-on-ties here where I live (or at least it's not a common use for a large majority of people), generally guys are taught pretty early how to make a proper tie and… ****_Disgraceful, Jacques!_**

**KitCat0922****: No Harem. I will stick to one pairing with lots of pseudo-harem shenanigans. Let's keep this simple~! (Also I don't think Fate/Last Harem can be considered a Harem since the MC cares for only one person in a romantic way.)**


	18. White Noise over the Past's Shadows (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Sometimes friends make mistakes. Grievous ones that cry out for us to stay and prove we are true friends.__"_** – Beth Bernobich**

* * *

**Chapter 18: White Noise over the Past's Shadows (1)**

**Corrections by: Ant0nius (FFN)**

* * *

**~John's POV~**

My awakening was a peaceful and quiet one.

I could hear birds chirping eagerly under the kind sunrays bathing them in light, the warm breeze tending over my tired body as I quietly started to look around at where I was.

My first thought was that this wasn't Atlas.

There was no snow on the tree branches up above my head, no signs of ice, or even the dreadful and chilling temperature that should have gotten my body stiff and aching after sleeping without… my bandages.

I glanced at my hands and realized that I was indeed missing the wounds that had been causing me quite the annoyances until now.

Glancing up and around my proximity, I found myself blinking calmly as I was graced with a sense of peace as I continued to study the natural heaven.

The mystical silence, adding to the pleasant loneliness the dense forest exuded, soothed me from going into a panic. My body slowly woke up as I started to better examine what I was looking at.

The chances that I had been kidnapped and dropped somewhere were slim if not nonexistent.

Considering the level of security in Atlas, even in the poor district where I had unceremoniously made a close encounter with the floor via pain-induced fainting, there were some guards wandering around, and I couldn't see why dropping me here of all places would be a smart decision for a kidnapper.

I certainly wasn't in the Grimmlands, thus I hadn't been scooped out by anyone working in Mami Salami's group. There wasn't even a hint of the pool of corruptions created by Salem to generate Grimm, nor I could hear anything that could dignify the presence of some dangerous animal nearby.

As there was no one else to socialize with, I tried mentally asking Ozpin for any answers to the many questions in my head.

When nothing but uninterrupted silence answered me, I paused to ponder what this could be.

Either it was another sign that things were far from fine, or perhaps this was the former Headmaster merely being a jerk by not responding to my questioning.

...No, he wouldn't try to do anything this cruel, despite how little he seemed to care about life after spending centuries of leading people to an assured death.

It was at that point that I threw the maddest idea that I had in the handful of theories within my head.

_**Could it be that this was my very own mindscape?**_

I couldn't exactly deny the possibility, nor I could confirm it without major clues… yet I had something where I could start from.

Considering that I felt in top-shape compared to how I felt before being forced to unconsciousness and that I had no bandages/injuries like I was supposed to still have, the hypothesis that I had been indeed yanked deep in my psyche seemed to gain more and more foundation the more I thought about it.

Still, as I stood up from the bed of grass and flowers, my eyes scanned around my surroundings once again, before proceeding to venture deeper into this lovely garden.

My steps were slow in order to me to be mindful of making any unwanted sound. Despite initially feeling like I was the only one in this forest-like haven, a gut-feeling was now making me feel that that I wasn't alone out in this strange place.

I was keeping a healthy closeness to some of the trees as to use some of those to shield myself from any eventual ambushes that I might found myself targeted by.

I didn't have anything to defend myself, no back up and… who knows, maybe this wasn't actually a mindscape.

Maybe this was _much much worse than I wanted it to be._

I sighed as I finally caught something burning in the distance. A mix of smell and distinct noise, the odor of something being consumed by some flames, the little smoke rising from one of the sections within the forest.

It was a small light-gray smoke and-

It had to be a controlled fire, someone had set a camp here.

Tension rose as I continued with my search, hoping that this wasn't a horrible situation just like I was expecting it to be, rightfully so after having 'missed' some brutal karmic retribution in the last few weeks.

The injury at the hand? It was quite the limited problem compared to getting my head tattered by some Beowolf or my arm severed by a certain battle-lusting woman.

I paused in my steps, my brain pondering the pros and cons of approaching the clear presence of some sentient being, my eyes sharpening as I decided, begrudgingly so, that I had to see who was there.

Maybe it was some little camper, maybe this wasn't something born from my brain and… maybe I just needed to take another nap. A few hours should be enough time to get the last bits of uneasiness off my back.

Sadly, I couldn't have just gone and taken some more rest, at least not until I had verified whom was lurking around those woods, if it was a friendly individual or something to worry about.

The noise of fire increased the more I sneaked closer to the area in question, my intention being to move through the bushes as to avoid meeting up with any unpleasant being lingering in the area and… I was finally given the chance to glance at the glade where the bonfire was created.

A pair of hands was close to the edges of the fire, the pale skin and the delicate fingers careful enough to not get too close and risk some burning.

She was wearing a pair of brown bracers, my eyes moving up to notice the two dressed overlapping, the outer white one covering mostly the gray-colored one that had a green-blue crystal embed by the clavicle.

I stared up right… into _her face- _

_...Oh no._

She blinked, slowly retracting her hands as her light-blue-eyed stare was now directed at me.

_**The terribly-familiar woman was giving me a fascinated look, as if she knew already where I was, behind some bushes. **_

_OH FUCK N-!_

I tried to bail, turning around as I was ready to bolt away from the clear sight of pure danger and possible torture.

But just as I gave my back and made my first step directed away from that trap, I found myself… stopped in my preventive blitz out of that horrible predicament.

A reddish hue was now coating my body, and I tensed up as I found myself incapable of moving out of that scary magic grip.

"I don't want to harm you," A gentle whisper that was easily denied by thunderous thoughts of panic and fear, my legs trembling as I tried to break out of that hold. "You… will not be harmed."

_As if I was going to fall in that blatant attempt to corrupt me!_

"I mean it." She continued, this time her voice turning whiny.

Soon I felt her magic slowly pull me closer to the bonfire, or at least close enough to 'listen' to her words.

Struggling wasn't working, my sudden lack of strength against the supernatural energy manipulating my physical capacities to surrender to her request intensifying the need of running out of that situation.

Nonononono-

"I'm not… her."

_Sure-_

"I really mean it!" The blonde repeated with a huff. "I'm not the Queen of Grimm."

"And I'm Santa Claus-"

…

"You do look quite portly-"

"S-Shut up!" I snarled back with a little bit of embarrassment.

Salem sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Y-you are like an illusion. There is no way that-"

"I could be here, 'ruining' your chances of success by 'corrupting'… you?" She concluded this little interruption with a skeptical note, more than enough to fluster/anger me even more.

"I-I'm not _that _fat!"

"But you aren't certainly as fit as was… Ozma."

I had been struggling against the magical hold, but then I stopped wide-eyed at the mentioning of the real name of the Wizard.

Why would she tell me his name when… she doesn't know that I was aware of it?

The woman blinked and sighed, eyes closing as she _ended the incantation holding me from running._

I felt the pressure on my body lessening to nothing, the capacity to move independently restored moments later as I found myself tensing at the quiet sight I was given by the magical user.

Salem had a saddened look as she looked up from her uneasy posture and nodded. "I'm… sorry."

...What?

Actually, _what the goddamn fuck I'm listening to?!_

I didn't restrain myself in showing my incredible confusion and shock at what was currently happening and the woman merely nodded.

"I- I know this is difficult to explain, and that you have all the reasons to… hate me," She said slowly, stuttering in quite the uncharacteristic way. It was different from the strong and fierce individual displayed by Jinn. "But my presence here isn't… connected to her. I'm not _her._"

There was a tense pause, I found myself quietened by the storm crashing inside my head as I thought well about what I was looking at.

This was… the human version of Salem, which shouldn't be there as she and Mami Salami were the same person.

They were still whole, they had to be still whole.

…

But what if-

No, I… I can't just trust her. Not now, not… ever.

Yet it couldn't be wrong to… consider the chances here, the strange details of this unplanned and unexpected encounter.

She seemed so genuine, the blonde barely giving off any resemblance to the angry individual that waged war against the Gods before becoming a shell of its kinder self by turning herself to the darkest pit of the world.

…

But what if this wasn't the truth?

"Who are you?" I asked carefully, gauging her reaction as she slowly looked at me with some surprise. "If you aren't the Queen of the Grimm, who are you?"

More silence, the pause extending to some more seconds before she blinked and spoke.

"I… I'm Salem," The woman replied cautiously. "And… I'm lost."

"Lost?" I quickly asked with some confusion dripping in my voice, causing her to nod once more.

"I shouldn't be… there. I shouldn't be creating these problems to you, I shouldn't be a bur-"

"No, stop," I interjected swiftly, my eyes narrowing at that odd escalation. Seriously, what was going on with her?

I was still skeptical from probing for more information as I was quite doubtful of her full authenticity, but then again it wouldn't be wrong to think that… maybe there was some sense in her words.

How would have Salem entered in my mind?

Despite the massive feat she was known for by the series, her magic wouldn't be able to mindcontrol someone… this far from her grasp.

And to appear so vulnerable and so genuinely so was just… too much. Why? WHY!?

Instead of trying to press her for more, my little fury was killed by what was happening to the blonde.

Tears were swelling, she looked a mess ready to crack and I was still standing there like a moron trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with my brain.

"I-I thought I was doing the right thing by- by bringing him back," She sniffed, falling back on her previous seat. "I- Why did I do that? Why… Why did I attack my own children!?"

Her hands were up to her face, covering her expression while I silently witnessed this mental breakdown, immensely confused about it.

WhyWhyWhyWhyWhy**WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!**

"Why." I finally spoke.

A single word, one that barely sounded like a query but that still got a reaction out of the grieving woman.

The blonde sobbed, her hands barely moving as she tried her best to reply to this and-

"I- I don't know!" Salem replied loudly, shivering as her tears continued to fall freely and without hesitation. "I-I remember- I was falling in the pit, I could remember the pressure, the_ pain a-and then-_"

…

She paused just for a moment.

…

"I w-woke up in this forest," The woman continued, still trembling and crying. "I was alone- I _thought_ that I was alone, and that this was just my own exile after what I did."

I took a seat near the bonfire as she narrated what she could about her presence in my mind.

"It was… so strange, so quiet and… and then I found this place," Salem described, her right palm slowly gesturing this little section of the forest. "I thought it was a sign of civilization, that I had been somehow been recovered before losing myself into the pool and then I tried to experience the warmth of the flames."

She stopped, once again staring at the continuous fire raging within the limitations imposed by the small light-gray rocks circling the never-dying pieces of wood fueling the natural agent of destruction.

"I… didn't found just the warmth," She said softly, her hands finally lowering as she gave a solid glance at me. "I… I found your knowledge."

...No. That's not something go-

"There is so much about what happened to me after I had turned into… _**that**_-"

Nonono. Don't continue down this-

"A-And then I killed him again, why would I-"

I beg you, don't do this-

"These four girls-"

If there is a God, and by God I mean someone overpowered but not also a jerk, then please help me or-

"And..." Salem stopped in her tirade, most of it lost in the current headache born from this discovery.

This wasn't good. This wasn't… acceptable.

Finally, after calming down a little, I noticed the blush on her face, her tears briefly interrupted as the blonde found it difficult to talk about what was next.

"For the love of life and everything else, don't finish that sentence," I replied sternly and almost begging her to.

She blinked at my soft outburst, feeling fairly surprised by my own embarrassment as I couldn't certainly control my own embarrassment and…

"You are odd," The woman blurted without thinking. "Like… you are really odd."

And this was coming from the one that lived the first two decades of her life stuck in a tower.

"Is your bluntness part of your charm, lady?"

She scoffed, shaking her head as for a moment the sadness seemed to vanish.

"As your sass is."

I blinked, a little smile twitching on my face. "Then it is~."

She frowned. "I'm not-"

"Too late and… how about we share a serious conversation," I proposed in a mindful tone, noticing almost immediately her tensing up but she didn't resume with her crying.

"Wh-What about?"

"You are not the evil, murdery Queen ruling by the Grimmlands," I started to explain. "Your last memory before getting 'here' was going for the 'turning'."

She nodded and so I continued.

"Now, from my understanding this is my mindscape, so you are technically in the same predicament as Ozzie,"

The woman's eyes widened. "O-Ozma?"

"The latest reincarnation," I nodded with an unsure look. "He isn't the same as back then, kind of become something 'similar' to a gray character but just becoming a poor manipulator at best."

"Ozma's plans are usually prone to failure," Salem sighed tiredly while shaking her head. "I could remember when he tried to create a new table for the library but ended up conjuring a dragon."

I faked a flinch. "How extensive was the damage?"

"E-Enough to revoke bed's privileges for three nights." The woman replied with a mirthful tone, a giggle drowned in her throat.

Ah, who would have thought that Ozzie was this much whipped.

"Returning back to the serious stuff," I said quickly, knowing that I had to quickly find a way to wake up considering how I had left stuff in the real world before going unconscious.

_**One can wonder how much time would it take for a concerned tiger to maul a friendly moron like me while I'm unconscious.**_

"So yes, there is an Ozzie here and no, he isn't your Ozma. Or at least not the man you married with his quirks and flaws," I summarized calmly. "I'm surprised he has yet to join this discussion, but maybe it's best he is kept blissfully unaware of this new development and- actually, do you know when you appeared chronologically speaking?"

"I… I think it was about the time you reached… that island. Menagerie?"

Annoyingly unspecific. Dammit.

"Well, I guess that is-"

**BAM!**

"Aw!- What?!"

I felt a powerful hit land on my cheek, almost sending me tripping backward with the suddenness of the blow.

Salem's eyes widened in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"I- Someone punched me and-"

**SLAM!**

**SBAM!**

**SLAP!**

**SLAP!**

O-Okay, what the hell is- _GOING- OW- OVER- OUCH- HERE-AHW!_

I blinked, finding myself pulled away from my mind and back to the real world.

And boy, was the real world turning into a world of pain as I realized that whoever had began beating the crap out of me was still going happily at it.

My sore body could barely move, especially with some of the constraints keeping me in the medical table when-

I blinked multiple times, my eyes narrowing as I tried to adjust to the blinding light coming from above, to try and see who was my aggressor and…

The beating stopped-

**-Right as I noticed that Sienna was looking at me in surprise, her closed fists restrained in that very moment and stopping with its previous hitting.**

"Y-You are back!"

"_Restrain her! The patient is-!_"

But before the guards could move in to stop the crazed-looking Faunus, I felt her entire weight plummeting right onto my poor bones.

**[What a lovely woman, is she your-]**

_N-No, we are just friend and-_

Before I could conclude, in the midst of that chaotic mess, I could distinctly hear some loud purring coming from the woman straddling close to me while she repeatedly whispered 'Thank yous' right onto my ear.

**[Oh. I guess it's 'that' kind of friend.]**

_**G-Goddammit, Sienna!**_

* * *

**~Sienna's POV~**

Moving John back to their room proved to be fairly awkward and uneasy, especially after the little scene she had gone with after getting overwhelmed by the various developments dispatched at once.

The human had returned back to the base mostly unscathed… but unconscious and bringing two more Faunus with him, a child with his mother.

Both had been following back to the headquarters, the woman looking nervous herself but she was soon granted some diplomatic immunity by Sienna on the ground that they were 'applying to join Menagerie'.

More paperwork, but that issue wasn't as concerning as the one presented by the comatose state her 'adjutant' had returned with and the way the man helping him back to the base looked to be affected by it.

The doctor with him, Watts, was seen muttering under his breath about 'a miracle', his wide eyes making him looking a mix of mad and shocked at whatever had happened while they were out.

He underwent a brief checkup, his hyperventilation causing the other doctors to promptly intervene before it could have turned into something a little more serious than just panic.

Still the aftermath proved to be fairly awkward because of how she had reacted to it all.

Maybe it was worry, maybe it was the fact that this has been the second freak accident that got the human to suffer something bad or… maybe she was just too stressed to deal with this kind of madness.

Silence was granted to the two of them, the room proving to be oddly easing of the insanity ensuing just moments prior returning to the 'safety' of the bed.

Yes, she had decided to not leave the now-more-bruised human in the couch, deciding to give half of the mattress to the partially-groaning man while they both stared at the ceiling of the bed.

If the Tiger Faunus had to be honest to herself, maybe showing so many emotions at once might have not been a particularly stellar idea.

Especially with the now-awake John, having some more bandages over his head after her little stunt caused by panic, stress and a little meltdown.

Maybe she should have expected some bad reactions at her 'rough-rousing', but to actually feel this much pressured by the human's irritated posture in the bed did make her feel like a naughty child that just got caught breaking the cookie jar.

"I'm sor-"

"You are a moron," The young man interrupted with a huff. "You know, considering the overall situation of today, I would have expected this moment to be the opposite of how it is right now but..."

He tried to shrug, the effort ending before its conclusion as his sore arm didn't manage the full action. "You did 'that'."

Her ears flapped down at that emphasized comment.

"I-It's was just the rush of the moment," The young woman admitted, her tone tight but giving some insight over her inner stress. "You_ should_ know about this after-"

"Beating doesn't sound like a solution to a state of pseudo-coma, Sienna," He commented over her explanation.

"And 'punching a sword without an Aura' is?"

"Since it actually saved a life and the damage is done upon myself- Yes!" I shot his arms up in a fit of anger. "Like- Why beating me?!"

… "I… I didn't thought it that well."

"I just want to know why?" He pressed on with some insistence, slowly turning to look at her. "I understand the worry and all of that but-"

He paused, his eyes going wide open for a moment and causing her to frown back at him… but it was in that very moment that she felt something trail down the side of her cheek.

A tear, then two.

Her left hand reached the edges of her eyes as she slowly began drying the wet sensations developing there. "C-Continue."

John blinked, but didn't comply with her request as he silently stared at her as she went through with this annoying activity.

Why now? Why would tears happen now of all times?

Why not before he woke up? Why not while he wasn't there to see?

Now a can of worm would have to be opened, mostly because she knew how persisting the young man was over this kind of situations.

"It was allergy," She spoke once again.

The human turned to once more stare at the ceiling, the furious expression now gone from his blank face. "Hm."

…

"I swear it-"

"I know," He interjected with a quiet voice. "I understand you don't wish to talk about whatever this is about."

…

What?

"There is no backstory," Sienna replied fiercely. "I really had a bad allergy moment and-"

"Sienna, you are the one that told me that you don't have any allergy."

…

…

"What if I said I lied back then?"

This time her query was met with silence, the human seemingly distracted with his own thoughts and that was quite the odd development.

Where was the pestering she had expected? Where was the probing for more juicy details?

"Are you… alright?"

He hummed. "A little tired. It's nighttime."

The woman quietly nodded, her eyes glancing at him.

"It never stopped you before from asking," The Tiger Faunus pointed out carefully.

"I'm still recovering from a beating," He replied sassily, causing her to flinch. "Plus, it wouldn't help you if I asked you now."

She lifted a curious eyebrow at that. "Care to elaborate that bit?"

He sighed, finally turning to glance right at her inquiring orbs.

"You are currently recovering from the stress of those few days, the little 'show of affection' proving that you aren't exactly well-receptive of positive help," The human explained softly. "So, for now I will just avoid causing you further stress-"

"I-It's not that, it's not you," The young woman interjected with some surprise. "I just feel like you are being too careless while helping others. Too much for it to be… healthy."

He blinked and nodded. "You are correct."

Her ears twitched. "Really?"

"I've been exposing myself to danger way too much in these few days," He replied with a sigh. "I guess that I need to put my mind back on some self-preservation or things could escalate to an ugly end."

And what an ugly end, she admitted to herself as she compared the odds the young man had endured until now.

It reminded her far too much of the carelessness that led to her father's death.

Lack of self-control in his selflessness and his easy-to-trust nature saw him killed in one of the protests before the foundation of the White Fang.

'_You need to keep a smile on, always, or the world will never grant you the joys you want to experience._'

What a foolish statement.

Smiles can do so much until those turn stale and ineffective, so dull and emotionless.

"Sienna."

Her mind left the memory lane and she resumed the real world right on that very moment, his words bringing her back out of her mind.

"Yes?"

"Do you dislike humans?" He asked tentatively. "I don't mean as full-hating, but just like… how much of the society works. How flawed we are with our morality."

Now, wasn't that an interesting question?

Humans were flawed, but so were Faunus. This very concept wasn't difficult for someone as perceptive as she was to notice, but it wasn't easy to explain in simple words.

What difference made the latter stand out to the former? One had more freedom of choice, and decided to mostly succumb to some horrible path of despair-giving without much hesitation about it.

Humans were resourceful, but it was their number that made them so incredibly difficult to face in a 'fair fight'.

Faunus had their own abilities, making them of higher quality compared to simple humans.

Yet, the answer to that question wasn't something as lengthy or confusion-inducing.

"I dislike foolish ones," She ultimately answered.

John nodded and didn't pursue any conversation from this point, basking in the quiet note of the night as the two of them continued to calmly stay awake in that normal quiet.

How odd was it that there was no embarrassment from that predicament? How curious it was that she couldn't help but enjoy the little warmth she was gaining by his proximity.

"John."

Her voice broke through the transparent veil.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"Are you… afraid of me?"

A pause followed, but the young man seemed to be thinking about this and thus she didn't push him for some answer.

Finally, he nodded.

"No," He stated resolutely. "I'm not generally afraid of you."

"But you are afraid of me in specific cases?"

"I don't like beatings for one," He repeated with more sass, at this point the flinch replaced by snorts from the young woman. "But I guess the unique case that would get me genuinely scared is… if I manage to get you ready to hurt me for the sake of hurting me."

...What?

"Is it wrong for me to think that my greatest fear I had about you was fighting you after doing something bad myself?"

She blinked perplexed at that followup, skeptical about having an answer to that.

"It depends on the circumstances," Sienna concluded with a hum. "It's a legitimate concern since you do care. I think you do."

He nodded at that and she continued.

"But you are also wrong to make it much of a big issue out of it," She admitted with a shake of head. "We are already past the point you can make me angry with some random madness."

"Oh," He replied 'smartly', nodding again as he resumed his staring up at the ceiling. "Understood."

Another pause ensued, but this time the fatigue was finally catching up on the young woman.

"John."

He hummed again, too tired to reply to that.

"Would you be mad if… I wanted to rest a little closer to you?"

…

"Why?"

"The pillow here is too cold and sturdy."

A stupid excuse, one that was born from quick panic and nervousness for even blurting that silly proposition.

She was ready for a refusal-

"If it's for the pillow… sure."

And she didn't get that much to her inner surprise.

She merely gave a distracted nod, shifting closer to the already eyes-closed human, almost ready to fall to sleep once again.

She felt her eyelids slightly dropping as to follow the human, a yawn drowned before leaving through her lips as she snuggled her head on the softer pillow where John was resting his head and… she fell asleep.

_**Sadly for Sienna, her stressed rest would see her move during her sleep and… John couldn't help but dream that someone was purring right onto his chest during the rest of his silly happy nightmares.**_

* * *

**AN**

**So we got… someone else. Ozpin is unaware of her presence and Sienna is already making moves to tightly-secure the lone human's safety.**

**If he keeps around and within her purring clutches, he shouldn't be able to get himself hurt… right?**

**Lastly, Dio!Si! Yes, I did that and the name is '****Absolute Divinity****'. WRYYY!**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Thomas Knightshade****: I think Ellayne was a product 'before' the real name of Hazel's sister was given. Also, it's confirmed that Gretchen was his twin sister, thus making her death date well before the birth of the RWBY generation. Sadly, we can't save everyone.**

**Ant0nius****: You was wrong! XD Also, I don't think the process can be recreated… without big consequences.**

**Guest (Chapter 17)****: Worry not. I've plans!**

**Ailing Loran:**** Ayyy!**

**KitCat0922****: Yas, insanity to its finest!**


	19. White Noise over the Past's Shadows (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.__"_** – C.S. Lewis**

* * *

**Chapter 19: White Noise over the Past's Shadows (2)**

* * *

**~John's POV~**

It was another early morning for me in Remnant and I could already tell it was going to be a crazy one by just looking at my first obstacle for a pleasant and 'safe' awakening back in bed.

I was surprised when I found myself questioning about the means I should be use to deal with the overgrown cat currently napping on my chest.

Seriously, why did she had to move in her sleep? I could have sworn she had been the one free from any aching in her body that should have spark any nightmare.

The conversation of the day before was still fresh in my mind and, frankly speaking, I couldn't see it being the issue behind such a tactical move in the unexpected effort of screwing me in the metaphysical level.

Yep, nobody likes to get to deal with critical circumstances which weren't dealt by the solvers… especially if said circumstances would eventually lead to some violent escalation towards me!

I mean, there was nothing truly wrong about the scene as we had been just sleeping.

Sienna was kind of warm and she wasn't wearing anything indecent in that very moment, but I couldn't help but see more of what her her reaction would be if she happened to wake in that precise instant instead of musing over the overall cute display.

Even the adorable purring coming from her vibrating lips and her calm snuggling weren't doing enough to to disperse the awkwardness that this scene presented to me.

I was carefully quick to push her arms and head away from my proximity, knowing that a wrong move could see me subjected to further aggression for trying to merely move away from extra-danger zone.

I waited some more seconds of silence after I was done to gauge if I had managed with my utmost effort to get her to move away from me without waking her up and…

_Yep, she's still sleeping._

A quiet sigh left my mouth as I thought myself finally free of the threatening issues within my current whereabouts, only for my easiness to die down mere moments later.

My eyes were quick to pick up that there was something shining from the little couch set several meters away from the bed.

I was quite sure that the room occupants until late yesterday were just me and Sienna, prompting me to slightly panic at this detail…

Only to frown at the realization of who was lurking by the shadowed corner of place.

The red glow that I had first seen was unique to a certain scarlet-colored blade that was being currently polished by a certain dark-haired, red-eyed woman that had made herself a seat by the furniture.

Her attention was directed at the activity itself, giving me plenty of time to prepare to what looked to be a planned surprise from Raven.

I continued to stare, sure that the attention would have caught her own and… I was proven correct when the former huntress lifted her stare right up to match mine.

"Oh," She hummed quietly. "You are awake."

...That's it?

"Good morning to you too, Raven."

She nodded, proceeding to return most of her attention right at the blade cleaning.

"Before you ask, Yes I did enter from the window," The Branwen mentioned distractedly. "And then I closed it once I was inside."

I merely blinked back at her, leaning on my pillow as I continued to watch her as she continued with her activity.

My stare was one of curiosity and fascination, but also one of confusion and nervousness as I was trying to understand why she was here to begin with.

Sienna had sounded fairly genuine when she had said that she hadn't contacted the woman about what had happened with the Taurus family; plus, it seemed that Raven wasn't even aware of what had happened to me quite recently.

I was quite sure that it wasn't what had happened yesterday.

...So what exactly got the woman to present herself unannounced and so late at night, considering that both Sienna and I had gone to sleep just before midnight.

It took me just a few more moments of staring that I finally noticed that there was a certain degree of tiredness lingering on her face and, now that I thought about it, I could also remember some of it in her voice.

"Having a tough time with the rest of the team?" I asked with some careful tone, worried that any eventual discussion could stir too much the sleeping tiger.

The question seemed to draw her away from her weapon's maintenance once again, a surprised look briefly appearing.

"I had some… issues getting the whole 'mother' thing working with Yang," She replied slowly, some hesitation present in her tone. "Summer helped a lot. I think… it could have been much worse if I hadn't her around to guide me with some instances."

"But?"

…

She sighed, giving a blink or two before actually replying.

"I guess I might not feel happy with… some of the frustrating bits with our interactions."

Now that was interesting. I had seen the older Rose behave fairly hesitant to approach the Branwen, but the two seemed to hit it off fairly quickly just before they left for Patch.

"Is it about Summer or-"

"Summer is as understanding as I remember her be. But she has developed some unusual sternness which she would display heatedly when I... exaggerate with some of my comments towards Yang and..." The woman paused for a moment and then- "I think I'm doing more bad than good if I continue to stay with them."

I blinked, a little surprised by this unexpected escalation. She did sound fairly fine with Summer's comments but… what could have driven her to think such thing.

Qrow? Maybe some snide remarks, but the man wouldn't just risk creating a fallout with his sister. Now with how difficult it had been to convince her to go back with them.

Taiyang sounded pretty chill and quite serious when he mentioned having no beef with his former wife and, while I knew very little of what he thought of his wife, I was quite sure that things would just be… fine with him.

"Care to elaborate?" I inquired with a curious voice. "I mean, doubts are something that 'new moms' have to experience or if it's something about your former team-"

"Yang is always trying to stay in my arms and I've seen her struggle violently when Summer tries to pick her up," The Branwen interjected with a more unnerved tone. "I think she might end up disconnecting from them if if I continue to be around."

I waited a while before answering, just a quiet sigh offering a glimpse of my pondering over her words.

"You are worried that it will ruin Yang's connection with-"

"Ruby."

…

What.

"Uh-"

"While I can say that Summer could easily understand what is going on with her, same for Taiyang and my stupid brother, I don't think Ruby would-"

"Sorry, but… while I can see why some would care for Rubes in this case, why is so important to you when you have barely met her?"

Her lips parted, then closed. There was some silence, quite the tense period of time that passed without major interruption as I stared down at Raven as I knew that there was something more about it.

"F-Fine," The woman said with a scowl. "I-I've tried to take care of Ruby too when Summer was busy, to see how it was to deal with a younger child and..."

…

"And?"

Her red eyes averted in a rare display of embarrassment.

"She is… easier to manage compared to Yang," She ultimately admitted. "Or it's easier to make sure she doesn't get sad, angry or cry."

Facepalming at this irritating development, I let out a soft groan.

"Raven, you understand that children after a certain age tends to get a little more high-maintenance and thus 'more difficult' to keep up with, right?"

There was a few instants of silence, but the Branwen gave a slow nod.

"I'm aware about that-"

"While it's fine for you to help around with Ruby, I want you to know that it doesn't mean you can just favor her over your 'Little Sunny Dragon' 'cause you decided that it was _easier like that_."

"But- I'm not-"

"Then please start putting more effort on your child instead of complaining," I pressed on with some annoyance. "I understand it's difficult, but don't just give up without making some serious effort about it and..."

I gave her just enough time to give a nod before resuming with my merciless pressing.

"And Raven, forgive me if I ask, but have you tried to tell Yang that Summer and Ruby were still her aunt and cousin, right?"

More silence, this time it was driven by the woman's confusion.

"W-What?"

"Did you tell her that while Summer wasn't her mother and you were, that she was still family and that she should be treated as such?" I repeated with some seriousness in my voice. "Since, you know, she is a child and she is possibly having some confusion herself over the matter compared to other people of our age."

…

"I thought that… it should have been Summer's job since..." She paused a moment. "She does that with Ruby."

"Because Ruby is her daughter, and you should be the one to tell Yang that since you are her mother and she listens to you," I pressed on with some irritation. "Raven, this shouldn't be difficult for you to understand after years of leading a tribe made by bandits. They are meant to be more difficult to manage compared to a little girl."

Yet the situation was proving to be difficult enough for her to actually have to ask advice about it.

I was impressed, incredibly so, but I blinked in surprise when she merely nodded at my words, leaning her head a little back by the couch's soft fabric.

"You didn't even try to catch any sleep yesterday?" I inquired with a suspicious tone.

"Yang has started to sleep with me in the same bed and… she had been having some nightmares," She replied before letting out a yawn.

Soon the woman was settling her blade by the floor, adjusting herself on the couch as she eased her head by the comfy arm-chair that gave sight over the bed.

"What about you and the Faunus?"

I tensed up at her finally switching her attention right onto the curious predicament that was going on in that bed.

"What about us?" I tried my best to not show any uneasiness over the matter.

"If I recall correctly, you two weren't this… _close_."

There was no way in hell that she was actually suspecting something more from the predicament… but what if she actually was?

What a troublesome instance.

"To be fair, the closeness is the same as before," I admitted with half-truthfully. "But after spending a little too much in the couch, I conceded to the fact I did need some proper rest in a bed."

"Sounds like bullshit," She interjected with a minor scowl. "How come she just 'relents' over having the bed for herself. You weren't injured enough to warrant this little situation."

I gulped nervously, perfectly aware that I could just end up revealing unconsciously about the thing that got me in a mini-coma.

Raven didn't move too much at first as I stayed quiet, her eyes narrowing even a little more before she actually started to get off from the couch.

"What are you doing?" I blurted almost instantly.

"I would love to have some sleep in a bed and… I really need to sleep."

It was almost like she was begging at this point and I felt a little bit nervous about it all.

I mean, I could see how tired she was right now, but to have her actually come be this close after what had happened in the last few weeks...

I might have forgiven her for trying to do some stuff that I wasn't consenting about, but I couldn't just forget the matter altogether.

My body tensed up instinctively as she started to slowly enter inside the covers, reaching for the side that was unoccupied and… settling her head by the furthest bit of my pillow.

With her eyes closed, just before I could even start to refuse such a sudden assault, I found myself looking at the woman as she just… fell asleep.

She was so close, I could feel the warmth of her body and her breath coming so close to my neck that I had to let out a shiver or two at how things had escalated without reason.

But before I could have done anything about it, I felt some shuffling on the other side of the bed and I felt my arm completely ensnared by a certain still-sleeping Tiger Faunus now snuggling at said limb.

Now I was stuck in that bed… and I had this need to go to the bathroom.

Goddammit.

My inner groans were met with the quiet walls of my mind… which was odd considering that I had two people inside that should have been having some commentary over it all.

_**Seriously, where are Ozpin and Sallie?**_

* * *

**~'Sallie' POV~**

This staring contest that had been going for hours now was starting to get ridiculous.

Sure, the blonde was perfectly aware that Ozma was quite the stubborn mule back just like he had been back when he had been alive in his first life but to see him keep up with such a self-destructive attempt… was quite frustrating.

Not only would he shout at her about keeping away, but he would also constantly grumble about missing his 'cup of coffee' and blaming his inability to perceive the threat close to his turf.

It was quite confusing to see the man she had loved for so long decline into the blabbering elder that she had thought her father to be.

Of course her father was malicious in his nature, but the tones and the words used by both were awfully similar if not the same.

Still, Salem was certain that it was his own mean to react to surprises just like her presence in this mindscape had been that had gotten him to be this much abrasive with everyone and everything.

She could still remember the heated discussion spared between John and Ozma that had happened the day before.

Both men begun a verbal sparring that would eventually end with the youngest of the two going to rest away from this 'nagging', going to ignore their efforts to contact him while he was sleeping for the next day.

And leaving her to face the slightly-drained Ozpin.

The man was still rejecting her proximity, threatening some physical retaliation in case she came way too 'dangerously' close to him.

She obviously kept her distance, realizing quickly enough that approaching the old man would have resulted in her just being despised even more by him.

Magic made her capable of sustaining any damage he could throw at her, but the woman was also smart enough to realize that the issue would then be something that couldn't just be fixed with any spell.

And that was trust.

John's trust.

Despite the clear dislike the young man had over her former husband, the brunet had been quite clear in keeping away from 'escalating' any further situation to something 'irritating and unneeded'.

It proved to be quite easier than she had expected, especially since it reminded her how difficult it had been to confess to that foolish man still dangling from his 'safe spot'.

Despite the serious efforts displayed back then to catch his attention, the man had been dense enough to ignore an unfair majority of signs that she had left for him to notice and understand.

Those were all meant to show show the strong feelings she had developed for him just after being freed by her imprisonment but he ultimately managed to dodge a non-negligible amount of those.

To some degree, she could now see why the brunet had been so close to call her 'Pyrrha' as her early predicament and her propensity to apologize quite profusely when wrong greatly mirrored the polite attitude that was known to the redhead.

_**Still, it would also be true to see some of herself in Jaune with his lack of knowledge of the big world around him.**_

But while she would have been more than glad to continue her musing over the uncanny resemblance she sported with the leader of 'JNPR', Salem had something a little more complicated to face about.

The same stubbornness that was expressed back during their first shared lessons about magic was now being applied in a somewhat semi-legitimate reason as he continued to stare/glare at her while continuing to stay by his little perching in one of the distant trees' branches.

He looked like an old and weary-looking vulture trying its best to keep his stability in that tiny and somewhat resilient branch beneath his feet.

The blonde sighed, blue eyes fixed on his angry-looking form.

"You are going to fall from there," The blonde warned for the umpteenth time, her mind slowly losing its grasp over the worry about any pain born from that stupid stunt.

The more he continued to stay there, the more she started to feel like an eventual crash would be deserved by the tired-looking Ozpin.

"I refuse to be too close to you," The former headmaster of Beacon stated coldly. "Even if you managed to trick Mr. Bukharin, I know exactly what you are trying to accomplish with this shy masquerade of yours!"

...Trying to really fix the horrible mistake she had committed?

Salem was still having a hard time trying to make sense of what had happened to her after falling in that pool, her memories growing blank the more she tried to think back about that last act of her life.

Then her Grimm self had appeared, keeping some lucidity for years… until negativity seemed to truly overwhelm her.

But those memories that saw her commit kinslaying weren't part of her mind, nor were the result of some insanity created by a trickster.

The orb that was now giving her warmth until she stayed near to it had granted her a glimpse of what the current host of this body knew about the world he was facing and the possible future that was now away to be reached.

Endless routes have opened since his arrival, each containing unique sets of obstacles that were there to halt the advance of John Bukharin and his inner mission of bringing some order within Remnant.

Nothing was truly centralized within the planing.

Everything was made flexible to best take advantage of the opportunities and depended on the chances presented by the world itself.

It was pure chaos, the embodiment of discord becoming the perfect tool to balance back to Terra- _Remnant_.

The old world, the one she had been prime responsible to shatter in the first greatest rebellion against the Gods.

Childishness had driven everyone, but her sins were so far even greater than anything that Ozma could consider himself guilty of.

She was the one that brought an end to 'Heaven on Earth' for the sake of repelling the natural rule that claimed from her the soul of her lover.

Her anger had been so intense, yet it had been her carefulness to make sure to gain the support of everything available in the world to wage war against the Gods.

Her Chaos failed before Light and Dark… but now that there was no God to truly tremble before?

Salem was… conscious about the unpleasant sensation born from thinking of defeating the husk that bore her name so mightily and so dreadfully, but this sadness was easily dismissed by the truth about the monstrosity that hid behind her grimmified appearance.

While joining side to those that had long faced the Grimm would have been a good choice, considering the memories available to John, it was easy to see how wrong that could end up becoming.

If this Ozma was sporting barely-veiled hatred towards her, the same would have happened with the one that was still alive and in a position of power that could easily create problem for everyone, especially herself.

Which meant that the best faction was the one that John was slowly but surely building up from various pieces.

It was a sluggish process, but there was no reason to chide over the results of his recruiting.

His friendly personality, combined sprinkles of genuine interest over making sure that this crisis was over the fastest possible, made it possible that his efforts would start to attract a more active group of people to his side.

Which would create an alternative to Light and Dark, something that would shatter without hesitation the classic chessboard that had for so long reigned over Remnant while making it possible to establish newer hopes for those that wanted a better human society.

It was idyllic for a dream, but one that she could see come into fruition with dedication and-

CRACK!

"Damn i-"

Ozma groaned as he fell on the ground, following the now-broken tree's branch to its descent.

Just like she had seen it happening.

She sighed, shaking her head at the disappointing sight before turning her attention right at the orb and what was going on with the owner of this mindscape.

There wasn't much to said about Ozpin as the former headmaster merely tried to climb back up the same tree before settling in another branch.

Salem blinked once… then twice as the orb granted her a limited vision of what was going on with John from his own perspective.

The young man was stuck in quite the curious predicament as he was literally being restrained by the presence of two women, one for each of his side.

One was the Tiger 'Faunus' that he had so quickly labeled as a friend and which Salem had quickly seen as a 'special-kind of friend' instead of a regular one.

It was clear as the sky was in a cloudless day that the woman did feel something for him but that she was holding herself from letting out her true emotions… which made Salem the more irritated by their chemistry.

John wasn't dense, but he also didn't have clairvoyance about what was going on in the tanned female and thus was unable to know what to do with her overreactions.

_**If only Ozma had been as quick to recognize romance as he is...**_

The other one was… familiar, but the blonde was fairly unsure about why she was here in that very moment.

**[Seems like you got yourself stuck in quite the curious circumstance there.]**

The brunet tilted his head as he heard her words through their connection, a sigh building up from his lips before he gave a solid nod.

_I can assure you that nothing 'lewd' is happening here._

**[I can see that by myself.] **

The three were all clothed, seemingly just resting in that precise instance and the lack of any strange action under the covers further showed that they weren't doing anything particularly indecent.

It was still odd for a man to be in the same bed as two women… without them being romantically close to him.

**[Are you still sure that you are just friends and-]**

_I think this __**still **__is a case of close friendship, Sallie. Don't make this scene look bigger than it actually is._

**[I don't see why should I. At least, can I confirm that we are normal friends and not that kind of friend-]**

_Can it, you tease!_

A giggle died down by her throat, but before she could have pressed for more, her attention was caught by some shifting happening by his side.

The blonde's eyes widened as the brunet turned his sight by where Sienna had been sleeping until now and… his eyes fixed onto a pair of feline yellow orbs.

"G-Good morning?" The young man greeted with some hesitation.

…

Soon her eyes widened and her posture tensed as she noticed that there was a certain Branwen resting on the other side of the bed.

"Wh-What- When did she?"

"A couple of minutes ago and she is merely resting," He assured swiftly, visibly relaxing as he noticed the Faunus' body easing over the predicament. "How… how are you?"

**[Really smooth.]**

She blinked. "Mostly well. How are _**you**_?"

The brunet shrugged and gave her a tiny smile.

"A little stuck there, you know you… kind of moved in your sleep."

…

"I can see that yes," Sienna replied quietly. "And how is that a problem?"

John tensed a little at the blatant trap, but didn't hesitate much to answer.

"N-Nothing truly, it's just that… I would like to move to go to the bathroom".

The Faunus' lips parted in surprise, moving just enough to allow the young man passage out of the bed.

"O-Oh, sure."

"And… shouldn't we be getting up right now or-"

"Appointments start at 10 and it's… 6," She groaned a little as she noticed the early hour. "C-Couldn't you- Why do you even wake up this early?"

"As I said, I need a bathroom break," He replied tightly, snorting a little before entering inside the little bathroom and-

Salem detached from the 'terminal' preferring to not look at certain embarrassing things to unfold before her eyes.

Her attention turned back to Ozpin in the Mindscape, the man having fallen off from two branches while she had been distracting herself by chatting with the brunet.

He was still glaring/frowning at her and she merely nodded back at him.

_**This experience was sure going to be far more irritating than she had hoped it to be… but at least she got John's shenanigans to keep her from going truly mad.**_

* * *

**AN**

**It's here and… I'm terribly tired.**

**I've wasted most of the time I had planned to use to write this chapter to watch the second movie of FSN Heaven's Feel with my sister. I'm slowly corrupting her to enjoy some bits of the world of Fate (Muhahaha) after failing to get her hooked with RWBY (A Major Defeat for sure!).**

**Still, things are interesting and… I think this chapter has the important purpose of dissipating two little questions:**

**What is Raven doing and will she have some relevance even after the 'Lady in Red' arc? (Which is yes).**

**And is Sallie a baddie in disguise or not? Which I think I answered it pretty clearly and-**

**I might have left some mistakes. I will probably go back at them tomorrow when I will be awake.**

**While I do enjoy CasGil I don't want to die the way he died.**

**Death by working myself to the bone at 22 is quite tragic (of course this is a strange joke jabbing at my workaholic attitude over writing).**

**P.S. I've also started a glorious reworking of some of my old Fate stories similar to what I'm doing with Fate Player Online. I'm starting with ****Tales of Two King****, a FSN medieval story set to have a glorious take over the happenings of Fate's Britain!**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Jhunt883****: You can actually see this disclaimer in various Abridged series like SAO, DBZ (Ripparoni, I'm still sad that it's over), Hellsing Ultimate and YuGiOh. Plus other series I can't remember right now. **


	20. White Noise over the Past's Shadows (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_I didn't do it for YOU or anything! __"_** – Standard Tsundere Quote**

**Chapter 20: White Noise over the Past's Shadows (3)**

* * *

**~Sienna's POV~**

A cold shower proved to be more than enough to get the uneasy stress gone from her tense mind.

Sienna was still unsure about what had just happened back in the bed, and how and when Raven had decided to infiltrate that 'high-security' room for the sake of… resting.

It was odd to imagine that the infamous rogue huntress would have truly needed to have some time off from her family considering how many years she had missed that kind of duties.

Then again, there was also the fact that it was a new experience altogether and… this very point sounded so infuriatingly true in her mind.

The Tiger Faunus was young, just a little bit older than the annoying human that had slept beside her, but still far too 'early' in understanding the complex nature of motherhood.

Her childhood was already blurry as it was during her first few years of live and the first image of 'mother' that she could found was… a blur.

Just like the rest of faces back in that tumultuous time.

It was a sad thought to have in her mind every time she ended up pondering over it, but one that didn't exactly put her in a state of true emotional distress.

It was static to her and… that wasn't important.

Instead she settled with some tidbits coming from John's lips over the predicament that had led the Branwen to seek some brief asylum from her family.

After sleeping for a mere two hours, the dark-haired woman was quick to take her leave through one of her portals.

Yet today wasn't going to be a peaceful one as Sienna had wanted it to be, at least to recover from her growing state of restless she was having during this stay here in Atlas.

Albeit there was no formal event that she was supposed to take part, the moment she stepped outside with a quiet John on tow, the Tiger Faunus was stopped by a young officer wearing helmet and military armor.

"Ms. Khan, General Ironwood requested your presence and wishes to speak with you about some situation about foreign relations," The man stated after a quick salute. "He sounded insistent about it."

The singular comment from the polite soldier wasn't missed by both individuals and the woman merely nodded back at the officer as she started to lead towards where Ironwood's officer was.

Despite her interest in not meddling too much with Atlas' inner politics, especially with how fragile things were after the pseudo-trial she had to go through with and… then there was the little ramifications caused by John's recent actions.

There had been just a few rumors of people taking a shine for the only human in the White Fang.

Not only it gave them a factual perception that that there were humans that were actually caring for their plight, but that John was genuinely the one sporting this much concern in front of the cameras.

A single young man, with little known background and an interest in true equality, had bested Jacques Schnee, a symbol of oppression to Faunus, in what was going to pass an historical event.

And Sienna couldn't deny that there was also a strong support coming from the local community to her excellent work and peaceful resolution.

It was odd that going for such a moderate, and seemingly-hollow, victory could gain so much positive feedback by the Faunus here in Atlas.

Maybe the situation was bad enough that anything at this point was considered a miracle.

The only miracle that she was aware of was that none of the repressed Faunus had decided to migrate away from the capital because of how Menagerie had dealt with this Schnee Blunder.

The real issue about that development would have been about space since the island wasn't ready to accommodate too many people at once, especially a large exodus from Atlas.

But that was a bad thought to deal with on a moment of peace as now… she had to deal with this new issue.

The moment she entered the office assigned to the General, her sight was captured by the scene stopping with her intrusion.

The high officer was staring coldly at the man leaning towards him by the desk, the slimmer figure holding a soft growl while glaring at Ironwood.

His name was 'Watts' something and, the moment she made way for her human colleague to enter inside the room and see for himself what was going on, the enraged man seemed to show surprise as… he simmered down his rage to interact with John.

"Mr. Bukharin, it's good to see that you have recovered," The mustached figure greeted with a friendly tone, to which the younger man smiled and nodded.

"Arthur, I see that you have yet to be detained," The fellow human mused with a fascinated voice. "I can see General Ironwood ready haul you to jail."

A snort left the doctor's lips. "Oh, but there is nothing wrong in _making a legitimate request to leave Atlas!_"

Watts stared again at the commander of the garrison with a heated stare, but the Tiger Faunus blinked at the comment.

Leaving Atlas? And to go where?

"You are still under investigation for the illegal experimentation you have been doing for-"

"There is no tangible proof of such a ludicrous statement, General, and until there has been a sudden change with the national laws, I'm still considered free to do-"

"Nothing until the investigations are properly completed," James interjected with a tired sigh. "There is a procedure, Dr. Watts."

"And there is something like 'factual proof' that I've yet to see for warranting those 'investigations, General," Arthur retorted with a hum. "My lawyer has already dismissed the incredible claims made by some of those charlatans-"

"Charlatans that are esteemed members of the High Atlesian Science Council. Their words carry some weight and-"

"Wouldn't they still have to advance some serious proof about these life-changing claims?" John inquired quietly, blinking at Ironwood as the General looked to glance at him. "I mean, since their core role as scientists is to support thesis through facts, where is the evidence for Mr. Watts' misdeeds?"

"From my understanding, General," Sienna decided to join in the discussion, fascinated by the young man's sudden interest over the subject. "There isn't actually a reason to restrict this man from actually deciding to leave Atlas if he wishes so."

The military officer bit down a groan as Watts sported a gleeful and smug expression on his face, but he sighed.

"There are clauses from your contracts that-"

"Force me to not divulge none of the secrets I've learned about Atlas' projects," Arthur continued with a giddy voice. "Yet the problem with that troublesome detail is that my contract was nullified by the Council before being fired. As much as I'm concerned I'm free to do whatever I want."

James tensed up at this revelation, his eyes widening a fraction at that reply.

"Can this be proved?"

"Transcript 135843, comma D," The scientist answered with a nod. "It's part of the judgment passed after the final evaluation that saw me expelled from the council. The councilmen had carefully detailed the full extent of their actions and those aren't unchangeable."

…

Ironwood sighed at this and glanced at John with a drained look. "It would seem like there is no mean to hold Dr. Watts from pursuing a citizenship for Menagerie."

Sienna would have normally exclaimed loudly at that, but it was far too early in the morning for her mind to allow this.

Plus she was suspecting that this reaction was expected as the young man beside her turning to look at her with a sheepish look that was cut short with a glare.

"Explain now."

It wasn't a question, it was a demand. At this point, some pressure was more than needed to pull out some proper answers out of John.

He was compliant to her queries, but he was also quick to restrain himself from giving too much of everything.

It was as if he was afraid of giving up so much and… that was mostly-understandable considering his known-background.

"I might have suggested to Arthur that Menagerie wouldn't refuse to accept a scientist of his caliber."

Her frown darkened at that answer, but before she could press for more, the mustached man piped in.

"I will not request any absurd wage, I just wish to have some freedom and guarantees as a researcher."

"This kind of offer should be presented to the Chieftain, Doctor," The woman said with a sigh. "He is the one responsible for the internal affairs and I'm just a diplomat."

"A diplomat with the means to contact the Chieftain," The man shot back politely. "Thus I should first ask you for permission to seek an audience with the leader of Menagerie."

'He knows how to move with his words. Now I can see why John would be interesting in this… mad scientist.'

But would it be convenient to have someone else, especially if this was a normal human, to return to Menagerie without a proper check of his background?

While John proved to be a good individual, he was also quite unruly when he found someone that was worth to interact with one way or another.

He seemed so… careless, but in an incredibly resolute way that left her quite floored at his actions.

Not that she couldn't react to it, but rather the calculated reactions from hers were expected and somewhat countered by whatever he was thinking in that very moment.

Improvisation was something that John was unknowingly good at, despite how much he tried to appear more as a mastermind.

He was a good planner, but his true talent was his capacity of play the roles he is assigned in the best way possibly and… it somewhat frightened her.

Sienna had met people like John in the past, ready to serve their country to the very end and sometimes taking sacrifices upon themselves for the sake of a 'Greater Good'.

So instead of granting to the young man a complete victory, the Tiger Faunus decided it was high time to show some little restrictions now that she could.

Her closest hand reached for his left ear and, keeping a calm but incredibly annoyed composure, Sienna decided to pull it.

A yelp was drowned within his mouth, but the young man snapped in quick panic at that action.

With his eyes widening at the situation, John frowned at her, inquiring in quite the irritated way to let him go.

Sadly for him, this wasn't her plan.

"General Ironwood, I suppose this meeting is over," The woman mused quietly at the officer, James looking at the scene with a curious but partly-elated glint in his eyes.

The Atlesian man didn't reply vocally, but he gave her a nod as to gesture them that they were allowed to leave.

Watts followed silently, his stare fixed at the unique scene developing in front of him as soon as the now-trio left the room and proceeded to walk away from the annoyed military officer.

"Sienna, you can let go-"

"I can, but should I do this after the recent actions you just did, John?" The Tiger Faunus interceded with a bored look. "I think you've been left wandering around without my attention for far too long. Maybe it's time to restore some restrictions and rule from when we first met up."

The young man blinked at this. "What are you going to do? Put me on a leash?"

What an ironic thought, the tanned woman hummed mirthfully as she imagined the scene.

A human being leashed by a Faunus? For some reason she felt ready to burst a giggle or two at that mere thought.

But then again, her amused trail of thoughts perished in a horrible fire the moment she remembered some stories Kali had told her about her early romantic escapades with Ghira.

_**Okay, first we find a place where to get some proper tools to deal with John and then I find some bleach to clean up that whole mess of a thought.**_

* * *

**~John's POV~**

I was starting to get tired of being manhandled by Sienna.

Being dragged around the streets of Atlas for Gods knows why, I felt my ear starting to burn a little at the grasp exerted by the Faunus and I was twitching in brief irritation at the continued punishment I was suffering even now.

Seriously, I can understand that I might have been a little hasty in the last few days, that I might have left some strange impressions with how I dealt with some of my good deeds I've accomplished, but to be left to face this kind of pressure was just-

**[Correct.]**

_Yes- Wait, no! What are you talking about?_

**[While I don't want to sound insensitive over your own feelings about the topic, I can see why she would want to keep a closer eye on you.]**

_Nonsense! I might have exceeded once or twice in the recent past but-_

**[Your actions have brought you self-harm and you have come close to lose a hand during that situation at the park.]**

_**Indeed, John should be a little more mindful about-**_

**[I remember a certain 'young man' that was keen to jump at every danger. In fact, I think his name was… Ozma?]**

_**The only reason why I decided to pry in this conversation was because we can't have a reckless host!**_

**[And I'm making sure that he doesn't end up to become as clueless and danger-prone as you were back before… you passed away.]**

_**There were some motivations that led me to take blunter approaches compared to your careful efforts- And I refuse to even continue this conversation. It's the young man that is to be subjected to this.**_

_Meh, I'm fine here. Please, Sallie, grill him a little more._

**[Oh, but I will grill you first, John.]**

I held back a groan at that rebuttal and I blinked around as I continued to be dragged around Atlas.

_Can't I just try to make peace and-_

**[There is no war to make peace about. She isn't angry at you but, rather, I think she is trying to make sure you don't trip in more trouble without her knowledge.]**

_That sounds incredibly wrong from a moral standpoint._

_**Indeed.**_

_...Aren't you the one that had- Actually, I think your 'past self' still has full control of Vale's security system._

_**That is inconsequential-**_

**[Dear, I've to ask out of concern, but did you perhaps spy around on people that weren't your students?]**

_**What? Why would I do that when-**_

_Wait, so you mean you were truly clueless about what was supposed to happen at the docks when the White Fang and Torchwick were caught working together by RWBY?_

_**There are instances where I stumble over some important crimes in the making, which would end up with me dispatching the proper force necessary to deal with those. But no, I wasn't aware of the alliance lurking during that occasion.**_

**[But what about Ms. Fall? Wasn't Headmaster Lionheart supposed to have sent you a list of his students?]**

_**I thought he did. A pity that someone had managed to hack into Haven's registry and send me a fake message.**_

_...About that. You know that Lionheart was… Salem's spy, right?_

_**That sounds- wait, is this about the knowledge you have about the world? You mean that you have proof that-**_

_He caved in the moment she put pressure on him. When you planned to converge RWBY and what was left of JNPR to Haven with Qrow and your newest host, Leonardo had sent several huntsmen to die in planned Grimm ambushes while he tended a trap with Cinder and her goons._

_**That's impossible! I trust Lionheart to-**_

_Salem also had Hazel Rainart sent to face you. You know, the guy you wronged by not making sure that his sister was ready for initiation-_

_**There is a proper documentation required for every student to present before being selected. Ms. Rainart had not only given a prodigious file about her abilities, but I was also given a recommendation from the headmistress of the school she had studied by.**_

_Wait, you mean that it wasn't really your fault?_

_**We take under consideration the safety of students despite how lenient the staff might sound to be and-**_

_But what about Jaune?_

_**What about Mr. Arc?**_

_He had falsified documents!_

_**But I was given certainty of his capacities by his father.**_

_But- Wait, what?_

_**I suppose you are unaware that the first thing I did when I first was presented with those documents was contact Mr. Arc's father about the matter and… much to my immense surprise, the man just give a recommendation for his son's abilities in studying at Beacon.**_

I was partially stunned by this revelation as… that would actually make some sense.

While I could see Ozpin being lax over some of the school's standards, there was no way for someone as methodical to just ignore the fact one of his students had managed to infiltrate Beacon without proper preparation.

But what if Jaune did have 'some' preparation? What if he had trained, at least a little bit, to get some basis done?

I mean, he did show to be capable of slaying Grimm pretty well despite the initial shock that might have come during the first engagement.

Maybe he did fight Grimm with his father, or maybe he had seen his parents fight.

So much was just ignored about the young man…

**[While I would be interested in seeing where you two are trying to end up with this discussion… I think Sienna brought you somewhere.]**

I blinked in surprise when I actually noticed that we were in fact entering what looked to be a shop.

Inside there were only two individuals talking to each other, both elders, a man and a woman, that were sharing some simple conversation.

Arthur took a brief lead as he glanced at the scene and smiled curtly. "If it isn't Dr. Polendina."

The hat-wearing tanned man turned to look at the mustached fellow, his eyes widening in surprise but a calm smile appearing on his face.

"Arthur Watts, my former student."

As the two approached each other, with the unknown individual moving through some complex wheelchair with… legs, I took notice of the elder's surname and blinked again.

_So this is Penny's father?_

_**Pietro Geppetto Polendina. He is one of the finest minds in Atlas.**_

_Wait, you know him?_

_**We have shared some conversations in the past, especially when Ms. Polendina was first received at Beacon Academy for the Vytal Festival.**_

_And why a legchair?_

_**What?**_

_A wheelchair with legs. That's a legchair._

_**Some minor disability from an experiment gone wrong, nothing truly life-changing but he has a noticeable limp. **_

"And I see you've brought some people here," The older scientist commented with a bright smile. "Ms. Sienna Khan and Mr. John Bukharin."

The Tiger Faunus finally let go of my ear and I rushed to nurse it up.

"And you are Doctor Polendina," The young woman commented back. "Arthur explained to me that you are capable of creating tools that can be used by civilians in record time for the right price."

"Oh, it's nothing special," The balding man replied humbly while scratching his head. "But yes, I would be capable of doing something like that."

Sienna nodded, sporting a small smile as she prepared to make whatever request she planned to make-

"I would like to have something to keep track of him," She finally said with a resolute tone. "A device to keep constant sight over where he is going."

…

"I think that's quite and exaggeration-"

"I've been pondering about this for some time now, but while it sounds 'excessive' I took in consideration the fact that you tend to run straight into the danger," The Tiger Faunus explained, ignoring my comment. "If I know where you are, I can make sure that you receive support and don't do anything even so remotely stupid."

I frowned at that. "It's not like tha-"

"Ah, whipped."

…

**[An unexpected comment, but a pleasant one for sure.]**

My lips closed tightly as I glanced around to find whom had decided to deliver such a comment.

It was the old woman the scientist had been talking to, which was now staring at me.

Her skin was a tan lighter than Dr. Polendina, and her silver hair were wore in a single braid.

She was wearing a dark-blue dress with white details, and she had a staff lying on the table she had been sitting by.

She was also incredibly short, making her appear like the Remnant version of Yoda, and I felt like this comparison didn't stop just to that 'height' comment.

"Not truly, no," I replied mirthfully and… I stared at her 'eyes'. She was wearing what appeared to be some mechanical glasses which had some blue led that changed its intensity to simulate the appearance of… eyes.

"Forgive me if I ask, but isn't that young woman trying to get some mean to watch over what you are doing from now on?" The pint-sized lady pointed out quietly. "Isn't that a clear sign of a very complicated relationship for a couple?"

"W-We are not like that," Sienna muttered nervously and I gave a mere nod while I continued to stare at the midget with an irritated glint.

Seriously, what is this sassy individual?

"A pity, you both look to fit well together," The old woman replied with a sigh before tilting her head to the side and nodding. "Yes, I can see it working well for the two of you."

**[I like her.]**

_Of course you would._

**[She is not wrong.]**

_She is surely senile._

"Who are you?" I asked with incredible annoyance in my voice.

She shrugged. "Someone."

"I can see that, yes," I pressed on. "But what is your name?"

The old woman smiled a little and sighed. "I guess you are trying your best to appear the most polite possible."

I snorted at her comment, but she wasn't done yet.

"Yo soy la Parca, joven," She muttered quietly, causing me to stare at her with wide eyes as I recognized what she was saying.

Yet she didn't waste time in waiting for me to reply, as she glanced back at the shop-owner while standing up from her seat.

"I think I will be going for now, Pietro. I've things to do and the walk back home will be a long one for me."

The scientist nodded slowly at her and sighed. "Make sure to not break the device again, Maria."

'Maria' merely snorted at the comment while continuing with her walk, but just as she prepared to leave, I finally reacted.

"Es un placer conocerte, Maria."

The short woman tensed up, surprise shaking her a little as she glanced back and give me a long 'wide-eyed' stare.

Then she blinked and eased a little bit before finally leaving.

"What an interesting youngster," She half-whispered before closing the door behind herself once she was out of the shop, leaving me to face what was going to be quite the annoying debacle to-

**Click.**

Uh?

I felt something heavy on my left hand and I turned to stare what had just been put by my wrist.

It looked like a watch. A very heavy, tightly-latched watch that was now on my wrist and… Sienna was looking at me with a devious smile while holding what looked to be a transparent device.

_**It would seem like the old lady was correct, John.**_

**[If only we had something like this back in our Era, Ozma.]**

_**...**_

"The little tool that Mr. Bukharin is now wearing is a special object that will keep track of his movements in the digital map you are currently holding Ms. Khan," Dr. Polendina started to explain. "The map itself contains a highly-detailed planimetry of Atlas and Mantle, and its main purpose is to perfectly keep signaling the presence of Mr. Bukharin in its radius."

…

"You know, when I meant you getting me a leash, I wasn't being serious," I pointed out dryly. "That's called sarcasm."

"You know, when you end up getting in so many troublesome moments so frequently, it's not you being chased by trouble itself," The woman retorted with the same dry tone. "It's you trying to make the worst decision possible after finding yourself chased by trouble itself."

I frowned at that, but held back from rebutting that jab.

I felt that something was off about her current reaction, it was way beyond the stuff I was usually accustomed to.

I've spent time trying to understand her, trying to keep myself in her good sides… but now Sienna sounded like she had purposely changed tactics around me.

It was like she was-

**[Throwing a hint at you? Slapping you for attention? Maybe even trying to make a point?]**

_The more I listen to this, the more I feel like this isn't it._

_**Indeed. It's possible that Ms. Khan is just showing some friendly concerns over John's wellbeing. Which is good considering how many horrible things happened to him until now.**_

… _I don't know if I should be feeling worried or not that Ozpin is supporting me about this._

"It will be just for the time we will spend here in Atlas," Sienna resumed with a calmer voice. "I wouldn't put it beyond Jacques that he might try to do something about the loss you have given him."

I blinked at that and gave her a nod. "I almost forgot that-"

"He is a scumbag that will resort to kill his opponents?" She pressed on with a sigh. "I thought that you would have know because-"

"I think I will sleep in the couch today," I interjected calmly, glancing at Watts as he was the one that was actually paying for the transaction.

_Wait, did Sienna just accept that as a bribe?_

**[What is a bribe to a maiden's attempt at being recognized?]**

_**Nothing. And that is why it's worrying.**_

**[Oh, shut up!]**

I could see the Tiger Faunus tensing up a little at my comment from the edge of my sight, her jaws dropping briefly before she looked a little… irritated by my words.

"Okay."

Just that. 'Okay'. No efforts to oppose my decision or-

"Sadly, you are still recovering from the yesterday's situation," She promptly continued with a serious voice. "So I will have to keep a close eye on you for the time being."

…

What?

**[Do you need more proof about this?]**

_Y-You heard her. It's just to check up and make sure I didn't hurt myself anymore._

…

**Yet, I couldn't help but feel like things were more than they looked to be.** **But why?**

* * *

**AN**

**I've so many things to say! But I will be quick!**

**So, I've started the Rework of ****Fate/Last Heaven****. Imagine a Sassy OC with a unique Assassin trying his best to survive the Fifth Holy Grail War and… what is this? A possible Illya Route?**

**And… I've started the rewrite of ****Magical Trickster DxD****. Yes, in the end I crumbled over the fact I couldn't keep up with that messy story, no matter how big it was.**

**Hopefully, the rewrite will not receive any pressure and I will be able to give it a proper pace instead of rushing things up.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blaze1992****: That sounds fun! I will ponder over an omake about it!**

**GoTeam****: That's a tall decision. I will consider it, but it might be unlikely that I will do something about it.**


	21. White Noise over the Past's Shadows (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_The only one who can decide your worth... is you. If you want to earn something, you need to reach out for it. Pro-athletes give up their teenage years to train. Business owners put up collateral to borrow money. That's how it always works. To make your ambitions come true, you have to take risks. The larger the ambition the greater the risk. That might involve time or enough work to affect your lifespan… So make your choice. Live in peace as a wannabe or risk losing it all to reach the very top. You're the one who needs to decide. __"_** – Yumeko Jabami, Kakegurui**

* * *

**Chapter 21: White Noise over the Past's Shadows (4)**

* * *

**~John's POV~**

A full day passed in Atlas. A day lacking any signs of uneventfulness, danger, or even anything positive on my part.

Only a strange sense of calm that only bringing the worst sense of uneasiness over my current predicament.

After spending so much time in Remnant, especially with how certain events around me have gone, I was outright unsure over long periods of time that just saw me pondering over the recent circumstances.

And with the fact that the meetings with Ironwood were proving to be fairly easy to go by without causing any major diplomatic incident between the Kingdom and Menagerie, I was given plenty of chances to contemplate about my current problem.

It was the greatest issue I had to face yet, and one that was both expensive and annoying to ignore in most of circumstances. The very thing that was now tightly-attached to my wrist.

It was heavy, not truly much of a hindrance or something that limited my capacity to move my arm, but I was starting to get incensed by the sensation of having something this 'metallic' and cumbersome on me.

I held myself from whining about this dreadful novelty near to Sienna, as I was pretty sure that she had been quite 'clear' with her motivations for this dumb limitation I was now forced to deal with.

While I had to admit that punching an Anti-Aura Blade right on its edge and wandering with the barest minimum of guards around an area in the capital that was filled with quite the assortment of criminals were things that just sounded so dumb for a sane person to go through in a merry mood, I wasn't wrong in believing that every risk had a chance of rewards.

I understood her message clearly, yet this restriction was both an issue for me and for those that I might end up encountering here in Atlas.

I was sure that I was going to met more people along the way, perhaps individuals that could seriously screw with Salem's recruitment campaign and weaken her means to strike around without any hesitation.

Still, I was quite surprised when Sienna had not forbidden me to make some 'solo' walks around the city while she was busy with some of her final bits of her diplomatic job, mentioning that I wasn't a prisoner to anyone here, but still pointing out that she would have been aware of any danger if things went south during any of those strolls.

I had to also accept General Ironwood's impos-_request_ of accepting another member to my escort squad, to further bolster my chances of not getting mugged or killed during any of my trips around the capital.

I didn't mind having to deal with another soldier to keep an extra eye on me, but I soon realized that things were far from my first expectations of this newcomer.

Especially because of his peculiar choice of weapon and… his Semblance.

This new guy was capable of not only nullifying my efforts to move around in case of anything suspicious, but he was also good at outright screwing with my lucky/unlucky streaks with his bullshit ability.

Specialist Clover Ebi was a tall, brown-haired young man with green eyes. He was pretty bulky, but just enough to keep up with the usual frames of the guards.

The young man was friendly, his tone sounding incredibly genuine when trying to inquire about my current health and safety… but goddamn, why he was assigned to me and not to a task that could make best use of his unfairly good ability.

Good Luck. I was walking around with some glorified Lucky Charm that was meant to keep me away from trouble.

And it was working way too well!

But while I was quite irritated by this good, but also bad predicament, a single thought had fully materialized within my mind and… I couldn't just ignore it.

_Seriously, why didn't Ironwood pick this guy to join the defense force when he came for the Vytal Tournament?!_

_**I had heard of someone having a Semblance the opposite of what Qrow has, but to think that he would have been among the higher ranks and within James' circle? Of that I was quite unaware about.**_

_So he just… didn't tell you?_

_**While James and I share a strong sense of justice and a need to eradicate the Grimm's menace, he can become quite tight-lipped when discussing of anything or anyone that could be regarded as an important secret for Atlas' supremacy.**_

**[So he decided to limit Atlas' presence in Vale… to not make his nation appear too weak?]**

_**Painting that circumstance in such light is… partly-correct, yes. But I would like to also bring up the fact that James was restrained by some absolute orders from the Council, from having the Tournament's force to be just sufficient enough to sustain multiple low-level Grimm assaults… to have Ms. Polendina fight without surrendering during Vytal.**_

_Wait, what?! You mean that Penny's death-_

_**Was something that James had expressed sorrow about mere moments it had happened. He had tried to wrestle about this very point when the fight against Ms. Nikos was announced, but the representative of the Atlesian Council proved to be quite adamant in not making Ms. Polendina yield the match.**_

...That was a big epic fail now that I learned about it. But to think that it hadn't been a screw-up from Ironwood, and one of the Council here in Atlas? I was left with a mix of irritation, confusion and-

"Is everything alright sir?"

I was brought back to reality by the query leaving Clover's mouth, my eyes blinking in brief realization as I turned to look at the young man.

"Peachy, Clover," I muttered quietly as I took a sigh, staring away from the concerned look on his face. "Just pondering over the fact why dumb people are those that make important decisions in most occasions."

Blinking at my words, the Specialist seemed to be a little surprised by my response, but he sobered up pretty quickly as he spoke once more.

"Sir, you were talking about someone with… a bad luck Semblance?"

The mere mentioning of this brought me back on the discussion's tracks as I nodded with a small smile.

"Oh right," I hummed quietly. "There is this guy in Vale that got some really bad luck. I was thinking if you know anything that could heighten his Semblance's effect, perhaps some lucky charms to-"

"Truth be told, sir, I don't think a Bad Luck Semblance can be influenced by superstitious objects," The Huntsman admitted quickly, interrupting me. "But I will surely give it some attention considering the fact that I had always wanted to see someone with the opposite of my Semblance."

I nodded. "So you want a phone number or-"

"It will have to wait for a while, to be fair, sir," he interrupted again. "I still have to deal with your protection, and I can't give precious attention about it this away so suddenly and without thinking about it."

"I suppose that's a fair point," I admitted with a huff. "Still, I've to warn you that he is quite the drinker."

The Specialist blinked, showing a little bit of uneasiness at the matter. "How much is 'quite the drinker', sir?"

I didn't reply quickly at that, finding myself surprised at the fact that I didn't exactly have a 'proper answer' to that.

Sure, Qrow was a heavy drinker in the series but…

_Did Qrow's beer addiction worsen up when Summer died in the previous timeline or was his pacing over it always like that?_

_**I would say that Qrow didn't like to drink that much before Ms. Rose perished, but I think I can easily mention that both him and his sister are quite attached to alcohol, with Raven being the one that enjoy it the most.**_

_I suppose this is referencing to the fact that her logical mind can survive that much booze._

_**Perhaps. I never inquired about this habit of hers, never found a reason to.**_

**[Did she **_**perhaps**_** made a point where she didn't want to talk with you in general, Ozma? I think that would fit well with her personality.]**

_**Despite what my insistence about having Raven brought back to our side might have alluded about, I am not someone that keen to know 'everything' about my former students and allies.**_

_And I deduce from this defense that you have the same mindset about Ironwood._

_**I... I do, yes. He is capable of making good decisions most of the time.**_

Before I could have indulged some more about this little opening in Ozpin's shell, my attention was taken away by loud footsteps and someone crashing onto my legs, causing me to almost trip back.

"S-Sorry a-and!" The feminine voice sounded incredibly uneasy, but just as I glanced down to see what just slammed into me, I found only orange lighting moving around me and settling behind me as-

More footsteps, this time I turned to look at the approaching figure and… I blinked at the curious state of this young woman that was now standing in front of us.

The girl had light-blond hair that were tied in a ponytail, her tanned complex contrasted by her vibrant violet eyes. She was wearing a sleeveless dark-brown robe that reached down to her armored black boots.

"Sorry to disturb you both but did you see a- a..." The young woman blurted out quickly in the heat of the moment, freezing up with her eyes going wide as she noticed the man standing beside me. "S-Specialist Ebi, didn't expect you to-"

"At ease, Ms. Hill," The Specialist interjected politely, a small smile on his face. "Please, state what is the reason that see you chasing… something?"

The young woman nodded, her posture easing up a little bit at the man's words.

"I was dealing with a mission with my team. We were supposed to make a proper presentation for Atlas Academy to the pre-Combat school," The girl started to explain. "Then one of the students ran from the classroom and from the school, thus I decided to quickly give chase and-"

"You ended up here," I interrupted with a nod, the huntress finally taking notice of my presence too, her posture tensing up a little in recognition.

"Mr. Bukharin, I didn't think that-"

"Fret not, Ms. Hill," I interjected the clearly nervous outburst. "I understand that you're still dealing with a pursuit."

The reminder did well to make her already-wide eyes to open up even more at my words.

"I- Yes, I- Did you see… a young girl, around ten and… with blonde-brown hair? She was using her semblance, a speed-augmenting one."

I blinked at the questions, my focus moving a little bit away as I felt a pair of small hands grasp at my shirt from behind, feeling quite the tension from the newly-revealed cause for my prevented stumbling.

"It's unique for a child of her age to be able to use her Semblance this early," Clover pointed out with a hint of awe. "I genuinely hope everything is alright. I'm still confused as to why the girl would need to be using it so suddenly and without any major reason."

The huntress appeared a little nervous, but shook her head.

"Nothing happened in that classroom, Specialist Ebi," She stated curtly. "But I guess you've seen nothing about the child. I will be going now instead of disturbing you any longer."

"Then please, return to your task, Ms. Hill," The Specialist replied swiftly, the woman didn't spare any other glances at us as she quickly rushed away to one of the streets to the side.

Silence persisted for a little longer, but soon the tight grip over my shirt lessened and the child slowly walked around and stopped in front of us.

Staring up right onto my face, I studied the quiet girl's looks.

The young student had short dark-brown hair with a frontal section that was a platinum-blonde, her tanned skin a little darker than the huntress that had just left our sights and… she had some curious dark-pink eyes.

She was wearing a light-blue shirt and a pair of dark jeans.

"Hello," I finally spoke up, gaining her attention once more back to reality. An uneasy smile forming on her face to try and match up with my calm, but kind one.

"Hi," It wasn't a truly shy response, but rather one of awkwardness that I felt accustomed about.

"It seems like you got quite in some trouble, young lady," Clover mused with a patient tone, drawing her glance at him. The child looked even more nervous at that comment and I sighed.

"I think there is more to this than what Ms. Hill told us, especially with someone that has stopped running now," I muttered back with a nod, getting a surprised look out of the curious girl. "By the way, I'm John Bukharin, a diplomat, and this here is Specialist Clover Ebi."

At hearing the introduction, the tanned girl nodded slowly.

"Nice to meet you… I'm Harriet, Harriet Bree and..." She paused a little in her own reply and then she resumed with a braver look on her face. "And I want to become a Huntress!"

The loud conclusion lifted some surprise onto my face at that little proclamation.

_**I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up becoming a Specialist if she goes along this path.**_

**[She seems to be quite swift with her Semblance. Her Control is admirable.]**

The praises were restricted within my mind and the girl looking fairly nervous as we didn't react at her final bit, but then I decided to give her a solid nod and smiled even more at that determined sentence.

"That's a big dream… I suppose with your Semblance you will surely make it."

Harriet looked surprised, her jaws dropping low at the comment.

"W-Wait, you aren't going to tell me that… it's not possible?"

_**And why not? She doesn't seem to have any problems that could hinder at that opportunity.**_

I frowned at her shock, but before I had the chance of inquire about this sudden rebuttal, it was Clover to ask about it.

"I don't see why you shouldn't be able to," The Specialist mused with a confused look. "You seem to be healthy, your Semblance is incredibly useful and… is there a reason for you to think that you can't?"

Despite the praise, the student kept quiet for some time, her eyes darting away from making direct confrontation for some time as I tried to understand what might have caused that kind of perception to stick by the girl's mind.

The first thing that I shot down as a possible cause was racism.

While there are Faunus that do have some 'hidden' animal features in their bodies, there were still some telling signs of any declination of that kind.

The girl did seem to be lacking any of these signs, her only curious detail being the blond-platinum part of her hair.

Then I shifted to the possibility that her parents were poor or anything like that, but I was quite sure that this very notion wouldn't generate any impact over the chances of someone to join a Combat School.

People needed warriors, and class-based restrictions for Hunters weren't a thing even here in Atlas.

I continued to ponder over this curious development, failing to grasp at what might have created this predisposition within the child to think as such.

**[For a ten years-old girl, she is quite short.]**

_That's actually… a fair point._

_**That is not a 'fair point', John. I'm aware that you know that there are Hunters that have heights below average-**_

_I wasn't referring about school's requirements. I was referring about normal school._

_**...Care to elaborate?**_

_Harriet is a little bit shorter than someone her age should be, she is a girl, and she has low self-esteem. The ideal target for-_

_**Bullies. Now I can see where you are trying to go with this logic.**_

It was the only logical conclusion, at least with what clues I could work with right now.

But instead of keeping the silence going even now, and turning this predicament in quite the awkward scene for the girl to be part of, I crouched slowly so that I could have a level-headed conversation with her.

The action immediately caught her attention, dark-pink eyes now fixing on my face as I sighed.

"Harriet, you are going to become a Huntress if you want to," I commented with conviction. "If you put forward the very determination you used with that comment against the challenges before you, it will be an easy win for you."

A frown adorned her face. "B-but-"

"No butts, kid," I hummed happily, her face gaining some color at the interjection while her lips twitched with some hints of amusement. "You will be able to do it if you truly want it."

Then I glanced up to Clover, the man staring back with a frown. "In fact, do you want to know why Specialist Ebi is here with me?"

_**Because you are known to stupidly run into dangerous cases?**_

**[Because you are a man-child?]**

_You are ruining the moment, you know?_

I turned to look back at Harriet, the girl giving me a curious look. "Well, I-"

"Diplomat Bukharin has repeatedly gone headfirst in dangerous situations that put his safety in jeopardy," The Specialist explained over my voice. "But while his actions are to be considered foolish because of his lack of Aura and Semblance, he did save lives by putting his own life on the line."

I snorted, the tanned girl alternating to stare at the two of us. "Specialist Ebi is kind of correct, I was quite reckless during these instances… but the final result, to avoid people to get hurt while kicking some baddies' butts was what truly mattered in the end."

"So… I should still try because… I want to," Harriet tried to summarize slowly and quietly. "And not listen to-"

"The kids that are bullying you?" I concluded for her, and her jaws dropped at my sigh as I nodded at her silent queries about what just happened in the conversation. "I can recognize the actions of some dummies. And… I think they are just envious of the potential you have."

She sighed. "But I'm not special-"

"Nope, you are not," I replied quickly enough, causing her to pause as I continued. "You are just Harriet Bree, a young girl that wants to become a huntress. And I can already say that you will manage to get at Atlas Academy… but from there, it's all up to you how you want to become a warrior for Humanity."

I stood up, humming quietly as I noticed Harriet now giving me a wide-eyed look, her face displaying a mix of awe, admiration and… realization.

"So from now on, the next time you have someone that tells you that this dream will never happen, you ignore them," I concluded with a final nod, patting her head. "Now, let's see to have you escorted back to school before you-"

"He-hem."

Clover was already look behind us while Harriet and I tensed up a little before glancing at the origin of that voice.

Ms. Hill was staring at us with an annoyed look, her arms crossing by her chest as she contemplated the sight in front of her.

"Specialist Ebi, Diplomat Bukharin, I suppose that this little scoundrel has been caught by you two."

I blinked at the term, noticing the immediate tension intensifying in the little girl's body.

"We had a discussion with Ms. Bree," Clover admitted calmly while staring directly at the young woman. "And she will not face any punishment, nor detention for this instance."

The sincerity leaving the young huntress surprised. "W-What?"

"Ms. Bree has sincerely apologized over what had happened, accepting to offer apologies where those are due while also promising to never consider committing this little chaos once again," The young man replied seriously.

"B-But sir-"

"Also, I wish to remind you that there was a certain 'scoundrel' back at the Academy that did much worse than what Ms. Bree had done today," The Specialist continued, ignoring the flinch coming from Ms. Hill.

"I-… I understand, Sir," The light-blonde woman conceded, taking a few steps toward us and taking hold of Harriet's hand as she carefully started to walk away from the scene, leaving me perplexed and confused over Clover's sudden vehemence at the situation.

A couple of silent seconds passed as we were finally left alone once again in that street, but then I decided to inquire about this much to my tired state of mind.

"So… what got you so much worked up for Harriet's situation?" I asked politely, glancing at the Specialist with an inquisitive look. "I didn't think you would have gotten this much emotional over it."

He blinked in surprise at the comment, but then he sighed.

"I suppose that I drew some comparison with the stories I've heard of people that had been part of my team," The man admitted quietly. "There have been some that had experienced this kind of senseless hindrances like Harriet has."

"Really?" I pressed on with a surprised look. "I didn't expect Atlas to be this much-"

"Despite Atlas' reputation to have the greatest education system, we still have some flaws within it," Clover interjected quickly and with an honest tone. "And these issues cause for our manpower to sometime have some weakened assets."

…

"I will keep an eye on the girl from now on," The Specialist continued with renewed seriousness. "She does have plenty of potential to possibly surpass me."

I blinked at that follow-up and I started to hum at it. "That's a tall expectation… but I guess your luck is going to make you successful about it-"

"Good luck isn't perfect luck, Mr. Bukharin," He interrupted again with a sigh. "It can do so much before it actually ends up failing me in a serious battle."

I frowned at these, pondering over this discovery as I had expected him to be… nigh-impossible to kill.

But considering how Qrow's Semblance isn't a 100% case of screw-ups, I could only guess that my early assumptions were unfounded and quite silly to even think about.

_**Just like many other plans of yours.**_

**[Oh shush, it's not like you can really talk about 'that'.]**

I ignored the inner exchange as I smiled up at the Specialist and nodded at his legitimate comment.

"I suppose I was wrong about that…" I mirthfully finished that conversation as we finally started to made our way back to the headquarters, my mind already setting up some plans to spend the rest of the day back to the shared room to recover from this draining meeting…

But then, when we finally reached the building, I was met with quite the sudden development I wasn't sure how to truly react to.

…

Actually, I was pretty capable of reacting to it but true issue about it all was something connected to the fact that-

"_**Sienna… what do you mean we've been invited at the Schnee Manor for dinner?"**_

* * *

**AN**

**Remember kids, clean your hands, bitch-smack your bullies, and care for your dreams!**

**And seriously, I can't just get out of my mind the whole concept of Robyn having been quite the pest in her first year at Atlas Academy, perhaps as a Mantle native trying to get straight all the formalities in the school.**

**So much potential for chaotic messes and…**

**Harriet. Yep, I put her in this chapter and… no, she isn't an orphan. It was never mentioned she was one and I couldn't see any sign of her being one… so no, she isn't getting adopted. (That doesn't mean that she will never appear ever again, in fact she will have quite a couple of chapters dedicated to her in the distant future).**

**And before anyone ask and makes some unneeded ship wars: This story will not see Clover x Qrow. Why? I'm not much into pandering (like not at all) and I've plans with them being Bros rather than Bfs.**

**Next Arc (no pun intended as usual) will see some more action. We talking about some Action Movie (of the non-BS kind) stuff. **

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Thomas Knightshade****: For it being your first story, it's pretty good. What I suggest is for you to keep writing. If you continue to do so, with a moderate pace and timing, you will eventually be able to make lengthier chapter and catch on your own mistakes early on. Still, good job.**

**Bartholomew Black****: Ahg! I can't come up with anything myself! The struggle of finding names to new ships! XD**


	22. Party Hardy (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_For a storyteller, an open ending leaves much room for imagination; for the inquisitive reader, however, it is a source of great anxiety.__"_** – Joyce Rachelle**

**Chapter 22: Party Hardy (1)**

* * *

**~Sienna's POV~**

When she first received the notifications containing the invitation for dinner forwarded by Nicholas Schnee for that very day, Sienna had felt dread and… yep, just dread.

There wasn't nothing positive that could come from being invited to a private function hosted by the richest family in Remnant, especially if those were well correlated with the recent activities of the SDC about their workers' conditions.

The trial did well to open up her eyes over the overall situation within most of the factories, where racism surprisingly enough turned to be the least of the problems for anyone being hired by the representative of the company.

It was another reason to be distrustful about the organization's policies, something that should have seen her politely decline the sudden development appearing right on her Scroll.

Perhaps she really should have done that, maybe she should have also called John before getting herself urged by her own concerns of not jeopardizing the entire diplomatic mission in accepting the formal message.

And yet there was no space for her to regret and weep over her silly reactions over the matter, as now she was forced to deal with something far worse than she had initially thought.

If there was something that was truly getting her to instantly hate her past self, it was the fact that now she had to try out some proper dresses for the dinner.

It wasn't going to be a public feast, yet it was underlined the necessity to have some proper clothes prepared for both herself and the trouble-seeking brunet.

The young man had returned from his stroll unharmed, confirming the fact that having Specialist Ebi keeping an eye on him had been a good decision for Ironwood to take over this unnerving topic, and he was quick to pick a simple dark-colored tuxedo with a white shirt and dark-purple tie.

It was so simple for him, yet the struggle for the Tiger Faunus proved to be far worse than she wanted.

A tailor had been summoned by the General to help up with the task, the man mentioning that it was just for the betterment of Atlas-Menagerie's relationship for her to be aided in that simple situation.

It costed him very little to forward some assistance, and the abstract reward from this action wasn't something that the young woman was keen to just ignore on the spot.

Still, there wasn't much for her to brush off all the support she could get in having this nuisance of a need fulfilled quickly and painlessly.

Four hours flied by, and she finally settled for a simple rose-red sleeveless dress, and a pair of black heels.

Sienna had to rebuke more than once the advice of adding something that could 'exalt' her natural features, with the tailor quickly trying to get her to fit something that would've work _well _with her Faunus attributes.

A polite refusal was then followed by numerous curt 'No's directed at the insistent girl picked for the job, causing some huffs and disappointed looks to come from the paid worker.

With just the dinner being a couple of hours away, the Tiger Faunus decided to spend this time by engaging in some calm discussion with John, hoping to get some entertainment and, if not, some distraction from her growing worries over literally walking in the dragon's lair.

While the invitation had been advanced by Nicholas, there wasn't any doubt over the fact that Jacques was still going to be there.

It was still an important dinner, one that would just aggravate the current state of displeasure created by his most recent actions.

But perhaps she was underestimating the hatred that the businessman had started to develop after facing John and getting defeated on a political-diplomatic match.

Both were silver-tongues, but the young man that just seemed so keen to eagerly at the first sign of danger was someone that gave much more interest over facts to support his thesis than heavy words to sustain it.

It was quite odd to see John give little to no thoughts over the current matter, preferring to keep any topics correlated with the event pretty far from the discussion they both were engaging with.

Perhaps he was just nervous over the matter himself and… he was keeping everything bottled up?

Debatable.

Sure, there were instance where the young man would outright keep the truth out of her reach, bringing up a need to keep everyone safe or just not mess the world too much.

It was annoying to know that he was aware of so much about Remnant's affairs, but she was terribly glad that he had sounded honest in mentioning that she knew just barely about her personality before meeting her.

The future was uncertain, but he had been quick to bring reassurances over her current standing, drowning down any need from her to pester even more over this unique subject.

But there was also a genuine release from the curious individual when dealing with situations he wasn't much prepared about.

Fright was an exaggeration, but there was no denying that he had shown some legitimate nervousness before some unpleasant instance.

And now they were going to go in a situation he himself wasn't much aware about, and he had been keen to point this out just as he had returned from his walk thorough the city.

He was going in blind, unsure of what could've happened from that very situation, and yet he wasn't showing much apprehension over the matter.

Could it be that he had some contingencies ready in case of any escalations? A good guess, she thought positively about, but the situation was just too theoretical to actually have a proper glimpse over his pattern.

Thus the Tiger Faunus waited for the proper opportunity to see where things were going to end up into from this very point.

But while she had expected for the conversation to remain within common topics, the young man decided to make a small detour she couldn't help but find interesting and worth of further explorations.

"Are you sure about it?"

"I'm certain of it," Sienna confirmed calmly, her amber eyes staring curiously at the confused look on his face. "Why? Is this important?"

"Possibly," John admitted with some hesitation. "It could be. I don't know,"

"But what got you to ask about this?" She pressed on, unwilling to let the discussion to fall so suddenly and without a proper explanation. "I mean, you're mentioning about a language that I'm sure it doesn't exist in Remnant, and yet you feel like this question is worth to be asked."

"I've met someone that does seem to have some knowledge of it. Enough to speak it," He replied with a nod. "But I don't think it's much important. She just seems to know about it-"

"Is it from where you lived or-"

"Someplace near to that, yes," He interjected tensely, glancing around and looking for the possibility of any of the guards giving them some attention. "But it's for the best to not continue this conversation now. I will explain you this once we're done with the dinner."

She gave a nod at that promise, hoping for the conversation to now have some 'easier' topics to be brought up… and her hopes were dashed away when the young man rekindled the exchange of words.

"By the way, are you feeling prepared for the dinner?" He inquired calmly, but putting no effort in hiding his fascination. "Isn't this the first time you are-"

"Yes," The woman replied tightly, trying to keep down her irritation from influencing her words. "I think I will be fine."

Letting out a satisfied nod, he started to sport a mirthful smirk on his lips. "I'm glad to hear that. Then I'm sure you have that bouquet of flowers to offer to the kind host of the house when we go in there."

…

What?

An alarm exploded in her head at the mentioning of this tradition, her eyes widening at what felt like the noise of glass cracking at that very instance.

"You… a bouquet?"

John didn't reply at first, merely staring her down with a studious look and getting her even more worried about this circumstance.

The sudden comment had unbalanced her certainty, throwing a massive wrench right into her gears as she tried her best to elaborate what she had just heard.

Did she truly have to bring flowers to the Schnee family? Was this tradition something only known in Atlas?

True, this was the first time she was forced to deal with something this much important.

Her little experience was mostly a difficult remembrance of what she had gained from listening to Kali's tales about the important dinners she had grown accustomed with by being the Chieftain's daughter.

But never she had heard the Cat Faunus mention anything even so closely related to the words leaving the young man's mouth.

Why a bouquet? Why to the Schnee Family of all people?

Her mind was scrambling for something, _anything_, that could help her to keep up with the facade she had put to deal with John's concerns and-

"Hehehehe-" The young man's soft chuckles were muffled even more as he pressed his hands hard on his lips to keep those shut, making her tense up again. But this time it wasn't dreadful realization that got her this much uneasy… it was annoyance.

Of course, the idiot had tricked her with a petty lie to see if she truly was aware of the traditions owned to this kind of events.

He _knew _that it was her first time dealing with an important dinner, and he was so eagerly teasing her about it.

"You… you are a jerk," Sienna replied intelligently, drawing even more chuckles from the human with that response. "Is this your attempt at 'coming back at me'?"

"M-Maybe?" His lips twitched even more at that question, his words trembling in between the chuckles. "And wh-what if it was?"

She glared at him, her eyes narrowing furiously as she prepared to retaliate as harshly as possible.

The Faunus should've expected this much irritation from dealing with someone she had 'scorned' up until very recently.

John wasn't someone that just dropped any revenge, even one as small and insignificant as this one in particular was, just for the sake of showing some backbone in normal instances.

"Then you're going to have a harder time to-"

His chuckles merely intensified from her irritation, turning into his rare genuine laugh that generally got everyone to pause for a couple of seconds.

It was indeed an annoying development because… it was incredibly distracting.

Her challenge crumbled behind her lips as her wide-eyed glance stared at the situation without much of a reaction at first, trying her best to keep at bay the need to smile back at that infectious and rambuctious chuckle.

One of the guards around snorted a little at the laugh, while the others were rightfully looking away and trying to not stare at the moron.

John didn't seem to be caring about what his infectious laugh was doing, and Sienna's lips twitched to form a small smile as she started to shake her head at the idiocy unfolding before her eyes.

The true essence of a lovely dummy that was just trying to fight against the general nervousness of a very complicated situation.

Instead of continuing to pursue some more aggressive words, the young woman couldn't help but bring her right hand to cover her own mouth, to try and hold the giggles from leaving.

She continued to shake her head in a mix of disappointment and amusement, clearly having lost control over the discussion all because of that unexpected development.

_**Goddammit, Bukharin.**_

* * *

**~John's POV~**

I really didn't want to go there, but there was no way out.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside the car that had taken Sienna and I to the Schnee's manor, and I took just a moment to glance at the greatness of the entire place.

I had seen some images already of this building, but I hadn't thought that I would've been urged to visit it for a formal dinner to spend there.

I was nervous, rightfully so as I tried to imagine whatever trap from Jacques I could've ended up facing in this very instance, and yet I managed to find relief in a little detail that was noticeable right as I moved out of the car.

The entire area and the rest of the proximity was completely devoid of journalists.

If Jacques had been the one to truly plan out something for this very unexpected situation, he would've rendered the dinner a little more public, to have journalists keep track for any mistake either the Tiger Faunus now beside me and I could have done during this predicament.

I had a theory that it wasn't something concocted by the ambitious businessman, but rather by his father-in-law as proved by the one that sent the invitation.

Nicholas Schnee was… someone I wasn't keen to tackle even in a pleasant circumstance.

It wasn't like I distrusted the man already by his last name, knowing full well that he himself was the one that literally kickstarted the entire SDC's business with good intentions.

However the issue lingered right about the fact I was supposed to keep close to someone that was far more experienced in politics and in studying characters.

Ozpin didn't say anything about any possible friendship between him and the now old man, and there was no doubt in my mind that both had to have met when the SDC had just appeared on Remnant.

A possible ally to Salem, why wouldn't the headmaster of Beacon consider to have him to his side?

With that thought stuck in my brain, I found it difficult to imagine the fact that I would've been given the chance of giving a proper look to the younger version of the Schnee siblings.

Sure, I had caught some glimpses back during the little attack in the park, but that had been fairly… limited compared to what was going to happen now.

There was no adrenaline, no reason to worry for any attempts at anyone's life, and I didn't have to be worried about having to keep an eye on Jacques.

It was going to be a normal private dinner, with etiquette taking a large bit of the entire reception, and a veteran of politics that would be studying me for the whole time.

Nothing truly concerning… except for any surprises.

Ironwood had been quite annoyed at the fact he didn't have the power to assign Clover to follow us for this dinner, especially since the place was meant to be one of the safest here in the capital.

And I had showed some irritation at the fact, especially with the knowledge that someone with a Semblance that grants good luck wasn't someone I wanted to be parted away for these kinds of occasions in particular.

My instincts were just screaming that this was the best situation for some mess to happen, something very dangerous to explode right onto my face and-

"He-hem," Sienna faked a cough, taking a step towards me. "I think we should get going."

I blinked at her with a surprised look, but nodded quickly as I noticed that I wasted too much time staring at the manor, offering my right arm to the Tiger Faunus.

"M'lady," I hummed mirthfully, making her snort at the courtesy before she actually wrapped her left arm around my right one.

From there we both started to make our way towards the main entrance to the building, glancing around as we tried to cover with our sight the entirety of the palace.

"I've a bad feeling about this."

I blinked again, glancing to the side with a curious look.

"Gut feeling?" I inquired curtly, drawing a nod from her much to my growing concerns over this circumstance.

_**I can see why you would be worried. It's been a while since you've put yourself in a dangerous position.**_

**[That sounds more like an unhealthy mindset to have. The world isn't trying to kill you at every turns.]**

_Didn't you say that you saw my memories?_

**[You've been attacked by Grimm and Raven early on, then there was the attack at the park and saving little Adam's mother… that doesn't sound like a pattern beyond coincidence.]**

_**...I forgot that you were an airhead-**_

**[WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, OZMA!?]**

I shook my head at the debacle exploding inside my brain, turning my focus back on Sienna.

"We will keep our guard up then," I said while nodding at the Faunus. She glanced up at me. "I do think that it all smell like a trap. Somehow."

She blinked, nodding silently and in agreement at my reply before turning her sight back to the entrance.

The walk to the short staircase of white marble that led to the principal doors was a brief and uneventful one.

Soon we found the doors being opened by some of the servants working for the family, various butlers and maids waiting for us there already bowing and…

My attention was mostly taken by the lone butler standing centrally in the middle of the path.

At first I failed to recognize him because he still had some hair on his head compared to the version I was best aware about, but I couldn't certainly forget someone like Klein.

"Mr. Bukharin, Ms. Khan," He bowed his head politely, my sight catching onto the fact his eyes were light-brown in this instance. "I'm Klein, and I will personally see that you're led to the dining room."

Sienna and I nodded at the polite greeting, but didn't talk back to the man as he turned around and started to walk through the halls, leading us through the various light-blue corridors of the manor.

**[This seems like an unpleasant place where to live.]**

_It's even worse when your family becomes dysfunctional and beyond fixing._

_**I remember visiting this manor just thrice in my last life. The architectural style is oddly enough meant to unnerve the visitors to this building.**_

_But why?_

_**I've never asked about it. I just didn't want to know.**_

Silence reigned all over, and I spared some attention over the various paintings attached to the walls, with some showing Nicholas in some endeavor, while the rest were landscapes all located in Atlas.

Finally, Klein opened the doors that led to the vast dining room where almost every member of the Schnee family was there waiting for us to arrive.

I could see that Nicholas had taken the chair by one of the ends of the long table, while the rest of the family picked one of the two sides of the table, with just a chair being left untouched between the former head of the family and his daughter.

Willow looked carefully at us, showing no curiosity at our entrance but merely addressing us with a polite look.

To her left was her youngest, Whitley, humming quietly while looking at us with wonder and interest.

Weiss had taken the chair beside his, the little girl's eyes were barely hiding her fascination over Sienna and I could see her stare directed specifically at the Faunus traits of the tanned woman.

My gaze ultimately ended up turning at Winter and… I was met with some strong and intense orbs of cold water.

The eldest child of Jacques and Willow looked incredibly interested on me, or rather, it seemed like she was trying to understand me as if I was a closed book she just couldn't reach out and open to read.

Nicholas stood up from his chair and smiled. "Ms. Khan, Mr. Bukharin, welcome and, please, take a seat."

He gestured to the rest of the chairs left unoccupied and we moved towards those.

"Mr. Schnee, we wish to humbly say that we're… honored to be there," Sienna muttered with some hesitation at the old man, I helped her take her seat before going to my own.

"Please, call me Nicholas," The smiling elder replied, then turning towards me. "The same courtesy is applied to you, Mr. Bukharin."

"Then I think it's also courtesy if the favor is returned, Nicholas," I stated back with a calm smile. "Please, call me John."

Sienna didn't reply to that, merely nodding at the entire situation as Nicholas took a moment to sigh.

"And I'm deeply saddened to say that my son-in-law, Jacques, will be missing this dinner because of some unexpected issue at work," He commented with a genuine note of dismay. "I would have notified of this instance myself after sending the formal invitation, but these news had reached me just less than an hour ago."

We both nodded, but before any of us could've responded to that development, Willow decided to speak up.

"My husband has been dealing with an increase of pressure after the recent events," The woman added with a patient voice. "I hope you all understand that it isn't directly related to what happened a couple of days ago."

I sighed. "There is… no need to apologize," I replied with a formal tone, glancing at the Tiger Faunus for some agreement on this bit. She merely glanced at me and I bit down another sigh. "The role your husband has surely drains him of free time with how complex his work is."

"That's good to know," Nicholas admitted with a small smile. "I understand that it's quite awkward as something to mention, but I think it's for the best to inform our guests of how things are right now."

Soon after this little parenthesis, several servants moved to start dispensing food for what was meant to be a formal dinner with rich people.

With attention directed to my manners, I proceeded to carefully dissect the particularly tiny sliver of seasoned meat some poor souls would easily consider a 'normal steak'.

_**The dinner is set to be a lengthy one, not a substantial one.**_

_Still… this just makes me sad._

There was some silence during the first couple of minutes, and I decided to use this opportunity to properly study the behaviors of those sitting at the table.

My worries about Nicholas trying to twist some more details about me proved to be incorrect, with the man happily putting his attention right on the dish in front of him.

Willow was slow with her bites, perhaps she expected something to happen and she didn't want to be caught up in the middle of taking one of the tiny pieces by her lips.

Whitley didn't seem to have a full grasp of manners, with his steak having been already cut up in little parts so that the child had no reason to make use of the knife that was currently missing by his side of the table.

Weiss had a similar situation, but instead of carelessly devouring the meal, she was putting some effort to not seem famished, a small smile was adorning her face as the girl enjoyed the delicious meal.

Winter was… following her mother's example to a certain extent.

She was quite slow with her bites, but instead of showing little attention to the table, she was outright still watching me.

The situation was indeed confusing if not unnerving as I couldn't think up of anything that could've gotten the teen to be interested on me of all people.

It would've been a normal thing if she had been interested in Sienna, perhaps seeing her as the strong diplomat that someone as respectful as she was could make a role model out of.

Yet her attention was completely directed at me and… there was no verbal interaction. She was quiet, her eyes silently trying to 'say' something and with me failing miserably to catch whatever message it was.

**[Could she be crushing on you?]**

_**I've some doubts about this theory. There are some stark signs that would tell if this instance was true or not.**_

_Like blushing and looking away if I returned her stare._

But she didn't when I decided to turn my sight at her once I was done with my plate.

In fact, the girl seemed to be almost encouraged to stare even harder as I deigned her some direct focus.

"Winter, is there something wrong?"

I blinked as I glanced at Nicholas, the old man having noticed for a long time now that his older granddaughter had been looking at me for some time now.

Willow took a moment to study the situation herself, while little Weiss and Whitely merely gave some little glances around, seemingly fascinated by this development.

The girl sighed and gave a solid nod.

"If I may ask without sounding uncouth," Winter started with a polite tone. "Can I inquire about something I just don't understand about you, Mr. Bukharin?"

Her mother appeared quite mortified by this inquiry, while the elder at the end of the table merely stared at the scene with a certain degree of curiosity.

"I suppose I can spare some answers," I said with a slow nod. "Of course, I can't reply to personal questions."

Willow's uneasiness lessened at my response, but she stopped eating as to see where this situation was escalating into.

If Sienna had been paying attention or not to the situation, I couldn't tell because I couldn't see her from where I was looking… yet I could feel her put her fork and knife by her plate.

She gave a quick smile. "Mr. Bukharin, I understand this might sound impolite but… why did you join the White Fang?"

"I suppose it's… a surprising discovery to make, but no, it's not too personal or even impolite," I assured with my own smile. "Let's just say that I was saved by a group of them."

"Saved?" The white-haired young lady pressed on with a hint of curiosity and I nodded.

"There was a situation that saw me put in quite the difficult instance. One that could've seen me dealing with some horrible consequences… but I was found just in time by a group of those and brought to safety."

"Sounds like a complicated mess from the way you're cutting some of the details," Nicholas pointed out. "I suppose it was quite tragic."

"I was traveling through Mistral for a work-related situation," I replied with some more detail. "And I was attacked by a tribe of bandits while stopping mid-way."

"Bandits are… truly a problem for that Kingdom," The woman admitted with some disdain. "It's a shame that the Council just doesn't spare enough efforts to get rid of those."

I nodded at that, but just as I pondered about it I actually remembered something I had discovered a while ago and never bothered to truly check properly.

"Actually… Willow- Can I call you Willow?" I asked first, gaining a small smile from the married woman.

"Only if you allow me to call you John," She retorted softly and I nodded with a small smile.

"I've heard that you've frequented Beacon Academy for some time as part of a program for Atlas Academy."

Willow nodded. "Only for just a year, yes," She admitted with a sad smile. "Any reason behind this question?"

"Only that I had the chance of meeting some graduates from there. They are now hunters… well, most of them since two are now teachers-"

"Will you give give me a name, John?" She interjected with a hint of amusement. "Did anyone ever tell you how cryptic you tends to sound while going around some topics?"

"Too many times."

It wasn't me that answered, but Sienna. The tanned woman muttered this with a disappointed tone, eliciting an amused twitch from Willow's lips.

"I guess… and I wanted to ask if you've met someone by the name of Raven Branwen,"

She tensed up, her blue eyes going wide open with a hint of surprise at being mentioned this name.

"You… you've met Raven," The woman parroted quietly.

"Yes, I did," I confirmed with a tight tone. "But I guess there is a reason for you to sound like that about it-"

"I thought she had… left the corps," The woman admitted quickly, her calm posture breaking at the mere mentioning of part of her past at Beacon. "And… you were attacked by bandits."

She blinked, taking a moment to breath. "I suppose you aren't angry at each other or-"

"I'm more of a life consultant to her after a couple of odd bumps," I explained with some hesitation. "She is still dealing with the fact she is back with the rest of the team."

"They all still live together?" Willow inquired with some surprise. "I thought that it would've been a temporary situation."

"They settled with ever since their family started to grow bigger," I replied with a nod. "In fact, both Raven and Summer are mothers now-"

"Summer is… a mother?" I was swiftly interrupted by the woman, her tone drawing some amusements out of the rest of the table, with only Sienna appearing a little concerned by the topic.

From what I've understood from Raven's last visit, she still hasn't truly accepted the woman as a friend.

"I will have to call her and check if-"

**Clang!**

A loud noise of metal being bent and twisted interrupted her intrigued words, urging our collective attention to turn towards the only doors that connected the dining room to the rest of the house.

In front of those was a tall and bulky man giving us his back for a couple of moments, then he turned and… I felt sweating nervously.

"Sir, who are you? I don't know how you entered the mansion but-" Nicholas tried to speak against this newcomer but the familiar individual merely sighed.

"Forgive me for my intrusion, I don't mean no harm..." The 'stranger' mentioned quite politely. "But I need Mr. Bukharin to follow me. Someone important wishes to speak with you."

...You got to be kidding me.

My eyes were wide open as I continued to stare at the approaching figure of Hazel Rainart.

"_**And she will not accept a 'no' as an answer.**_**"**

* * *

**AN**

**I promised action. Here it is!**

**P.S. Before anyone ask no, the reasoning behind Grimm!Salem's interest isn't BS… but out of legitimate logic behind the recent happenings.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**DivineWhiskey****: He started a little chubby, now he is slimmer. Sienna still loves to poke fun at that detail despite the fact he has improved.**

**Victorsan12345****: I can't assure immediate importance for Ironwood, but I can guarantee you that he will be quite competent compared to how he was developed in Volume 7.**

**NazgulBelserion****: Because he can't activate Aura. And without Aura, he can't activate a Semblance. He is still the Pepsi Wizard tho (apart the joke, Magic will become relevant pretty soon.).**

**Blaze1992****: It wasn't about stupidity, it was about bullying. Bullies targets people that are somewhat 'easy' to harass, and Harriet' shortness makes her a prime target for them. It's not that the height mattered over becoming a Huntress or not, but rather that it was an enabling factor for bullies to annoy her by saying that she can't become a Huntress… for no real reason.**


	23. Party Hardy (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Whenever you feel compelled to put others first at the expense of yourself, you are denying your own reality, your own identity.__"_** – David Stafford**

**Chapter 23: Party Hardy (2)**

* * *

**~John's POV~**

In this very predicament, a sane person would've started to panic, perhaps even wonder over the chances of actually succeeding in jumping through the windows and make a run for it.

It sounded like a good idea to me at first too, but then again, there were a few issues within that very idea.

I wasn't nowhere near the windows, with the dining room being fairly humongous, the distance between the table and the sides of the are was… non-negligible.

If the main problem decided to sprint as I rushed at the nearby emergency 'exit', I was sure going to get a body-slam.

Yet I was silently staring at the worrisome individual, thinking how exactly did he get there and why he looked so calm.

Hazel was quite the imposing figure. And while he didn't look quite threatening, from very far, he was quite a strong guy with a grudge for Ozpin.

Plus he could certainly crack some skulls worse than Gregor Clegane if he was pushed into his berserk mode.

I could've sparked the action, enabled the kerfuffle by just making a stand already, yet it would've been a puny and stupid mistake to make considering the unforgiving circumstance.

Nobody here had weapons to use against the intruder, and the intruder himself was someone that could easily shrug off most of conventional firepower.

Thus, instead of planning a direct plan of attack, I knew that I had to rely upon the information I had over my 'recruiter'.

The man took a step towards me, and I blinked at this unpleasant circumstance.

"A Queen?" I inquired with faux-interest. "I think none of the kingdoms currently have any proper monarchs."

"She isn't known to many, and it would be best for you to just follow quietly," Hazel rebuked politely. "I can't guarantee the safety of those in this room if-"

"As if I would allow some lunatic to attack my family," Nicholas finally erupted, his face showing some anger at the threatening undertone of the last comment.

Both Winter and Weiss had slowly walked to stand by their mother's side, while Whitley was picked by Willow in her arms.

I felt Sienna reach with her hand, grasping at my right shoulder.

"He isn't going anywhere."

The stern refusal was met with a sad look from the minion, and Hazel took a step closer.

"Sadly, this is beyond anyone. She has expressed interest, and there's nothing that will make her back away from-"

"Why are you so calm about this?" I asked with a confused tone. "You know, you just entered one of the few places that are considered the safest in Atlas and… you don't seem worried about anyone coming to help us."

The Schnee family was in this point of the timeline one of the national treasure for Atlas. The mere moment someone threatened their prized company, there was no doubt that an airship was well on its way.

Yet I found it truly odd that none of the guards around the mansion had yet to arrive and attack the bulky bastard in front of us.

There was a swarm of those, and it was just confusing as to why none had yet to come and breach the now-obstructed door.

"That's because no one will come," He replied quietly, his tone losing some of its previous calm while addressing this subject. "At least not until my partner is out there to make sure that nobody disturbs us."

A partner? But Salem didn't have that many minions right now and-

No. Hazel couldn't have been this much- this much stupid!

But there was no doubt, **he **was the only candidate possible that could've partnered with the Dust-roid giant.

My blood run cold at that explanation, as I had a solid theory about whom was currently lurking around the halls of the mansion and making a slaughter of people there.

…

WHY THE HECK HE LET TYRIAN GO IN A MURDER SPREE?!

"Are you- Are you insane?" I blurted out subsequently, eyes widening in a moment of utter shock. "You-"

"We need to make sacrifices," The big man reasoned with some hesitation dripping from his words. "Some lives need to be taken for the sake of making a better world."

His interruption made me ready to burst in anger at how lazily he was addressing such an issue.

Not only they had attacked one of the kingdoms so suddenly, but they were also in the process of threatening children and the other people living in the mansion.

_Screw diplomacy, I need something to retaliate quickly with this prick._

_**I wouldn't suggest trying anything too sudden. Maybe James is already mobilizing some force to-**_

"John, you know about what this troglodyte talking about? Who is this man?"

Nicholas' voice interrupted my brain-storming session, and I glanced behind to give him a brief look.

"The situation is pretty bad, and if something doesn't happen soon, we might end up dealing with someone less sane than him," I answered the first query, feeling unsure how to deal with this very predicament. "And his name is Hazel Rainhart."

The intruder looked surprised at my last words. "So you're aware about my name and… you lied about not knowing the queen."

"Knowing is a strong word," I replied swiftly and with an uneasy tone. "Let's just say that I perfectly understand when to stay away from some unstable individuals, differently from you."

He frowned. "She is just misunderstood, not unstable," The man tried to surprisingly plead and I frowned.

"Forgive me but misunderstandings don't get people killed, at least not as many as she is prime cause for," I rebuked with some irritation. "And seriously, you're doing nothing more than antagonizing now."

"You're left with little options about that, Mr. Bukharin. I understand that you care for people's lives, even those that you've yet to met," The tall individual pointed out. "Let's just avoid making unneeded messes when-"

"You are trying to kidnap me, I hope you understand that's already a mess," I sarcastically rebuked, staring hardly at him. "Also no, before you make any reference to any sad backstory, I will not be swayed by some half-truths."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "And what do you plan to do then? You're not in a position to 'refuse'."

_Can we do something about it?_

**[If I remember correctly, you did use something close to transfiguration a while ago, but I'm not sure you can use it without proper concentration-]**

_Ozpin and I already tried to make something after I managed to get that Pepsi can, but I can't get anything from it._

_**It's not transfiguration, we've already confirmed that. Yet feel like this is familiar too and-**_

**[Maybe it's one of the few arts you left me to deal with. There are a couple of spells that match with your case but… I think I might be wrong, but what did you envision when you materialized that… can?]**

_Well, I was just remembering the flavor of the beverage since it's my favorite and-_

**[Can you imagine the emotions born from that remembrance? What made it feel so strong and so dominant within your mind?]**

I blinked at the query, thinking back at the very situation for a brief moment as I contemplated about the delicious taste of the soda drink and-

Freezing up, I stared down at my hands and… at the familiar blue-colored tin can now in my hold.

"How curious," I hummed quietly, unwillingly drawing Hazel attention at the little thing I had now in my lap.

"What's that?" He inquired-demanded while frowning at the object.

"Oh you know, the very sensation that one feels when they seem ready to lose, but then then they suddenly win because of something oddly overpowered and terribly amusing," I hummed quietly and trying my best to appear as mysterious as possible. "It's like drinking a soda drink with a dry throat."

He didn't reply, and everyone failed to see that something was just off about the can itself.

But before Hazel could've done anything to reply to that insane comment, I did the unthinkable as I threw the can right at him.

"Please catch, it's rather important," I exclaimed while the small thing soared towards the man, Hazel tensing up as his hand stretched to reach the seemingly harmless can.

The very problem that he would notice just as he got hold of the blue-colored contained was that it was no longer 'small', but it was twisting from the inside out.

With his eyes widening in shock, the little thing exploded as the liquid pressured the small pieces of metals into his shirt.

Cuts spread all over his clothes, yet there was no physical damage on him since his Aura tanked most of the sudden explosion.

The rest of the witnesses either jumped in fright at the sudden phenomenon, with just Sienna staring at the scene without much else other than gawking at the resulting effects.

Meanwhile the frizzy beverage sprayed all over his face, outright blinding him and distracting him for a while as I stood up, two more cans occupying my hands.

_And that is what happens when you add a lot of Mentos inside a single can of Pepsi._

_**That sounds particularly dangerous considering that you're making these 'bombs' from the experience you had with them.**_

**[To think that you would go as far as trying to drink from that because of a Truth and Dare challenge-]**

_That was Drunk Bukharin. And nobody knows what Drunk Bukharin can and will do._

"You're the one in the position to lose, Hazel," I said while shaking my head, taking a couple of steps. "You should've just tried something a little more discreet. A pity that I don't plan to have you run away from this encounter."

He snarled. "You made a terrible mistake by refusing her offer. The new world will come and-"

"I will not allow that to happen, especially for the very reason that drives you right now to renege humanity as a whole," I replied sternly, drawing a surprised look from him. "Gretchen Rainart didn't die so that you could destroy her beliefs."

His eyes widened, and he seemed genuinely shaken by these words… but I wasn't actually trying to make conversation there.

I took more steps towards him. "A pity that you've tainted her wishes like this. And you were her brother."

Before I had the chance of throw the two tin cans, I froze as a noise erupted from the stuck doors, with someone trying to barge inside.

This distraction proved to be a serious mistake on my part, and I would then blame my tense mind while a big fist slammed straight into my chest.

I felt the air leaving my lungs as I was sent flying away, only to land on the opposite side of the room.

_D-Did someone catch the number of that train?_

_**Get up, don't let him leave!**_

While I shared well Ozpin's own interest in seeing Hazel dealt with instead of having to face him again in the future, my hopes were dashed away the same way the windows of the room were when that bastard run into them.

I don't know why he didn't press the advantage, perhaps he was panicking or something like that but-

The doors were slammed open, with the young butler that was Klein Sieben spearheading a group of fellow butlers and some of the arms guards

"Mr. Schnee, we've arrived to get you out of there with-" The man paused at the scene bestowed before him, shock filling his now-red eyes.

I saw Sienna finally bolting towards me, crouching down to check on me with a worried look.

"I'm- I'm mostly fine," I stated with some difficulty, still recovering from the little flight I had before hitting ground.

"You- you're really going to give me a heart-attack one of these days," She replied with a relieved sigh as I slowly allowed her to lift me up to stand. "We need to leave, we can't-"

"I know. We're not risking an encounter with the big guy's partner," I interrupted with a small smile. "Don't worry?"

"I think I've all the reasons of the world to be worried," The Tiger Faunus rebuked while helping me walk around, my mind whining at the fact I ended up with a little limp by my left leg.

I was still in pain from the impact, but it was somewhat bearable compared to the rest of horrible instances I had been subjected with in the recent past.

Without saying anything more about the matter, I let Nicholas take the rightful lead of the group in rushing towards the main entrance.

I looked around with cautious eyes, with Sienna following my example as we settled at the end of the large crowd of people.

Willow had kept her children close to her, everyone looking fairly shaken by the recent developments, but not enough to falter in following the clear orders that were meant to take us away from the dangerous place.

There were no obstacles along the ways, yet some of the paintings had been slashed and damaged by what seemed to have been some wars between the hallways.

Tyrian had been there… but he was no longer around to create any problem

Which was bad considering how unpredictable the man was in every circumstance, and I feared that an ambush had been set just at the end of this little run towards the main doors.

We stepped outside, making our way down the small staircase that led outside courtyard were a few airships had landed.

There was an odd sense of quiet, I could see some police's sirens flaring from beyond the gates as they let the military take over this difficult situation.

Soldiers started to be deployed from the flying vehicle, several squads forming as they advanced towards us as to bring us to safety and-

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Dread froze my mind in a cold sweat, shock filled my throat as I turned to the side while trying to stare up, only to stop at an odd purple spot by Sienna's upper back.

She tensed up, perhaps feeling that something was off with her Aura but… it was too late.

Tyrian plummeted from the little perching he had been standing by until now, his stinger rushing down fiercely and puncturing the Tiger Faunus near her left arm's joint.

A cackle, a pain-induced gasp and then we were all crumbling down the stairs, with the rest of the group rushing away as the Scorpion Faunus stared at us with a demented grin.

"What's wrong, Bukharin?" He inquired with maddening mirthfulness. "Did the scorpion sting your cat?"

I felt numb, my brain blanking out as I stared in an odd mix of anger and shock the monstrous smile on the bastard's face.

"Perhaps you should've accepted? See? It's your fault that she is- WOAH!"

I swiftly threw a punch at him, but he ducked away from it. The tanned woman was still clinging onto me, but she was unresponsive.

"Pity that you can't truly fight. Always hiding away, letting other suffer and die because you can't think fast enough," Tyrian chucked. "But that's what makes you weak. You think when you should act!"

And I did act as I suddenly tossed at him a small blue can.

He smiled, blissfully unaware of what was going to happen the mere moments later.

The explosion was slightly more powerful than the one I had used early on with Hazel, and I was forced to shift my body to provide some protection to the unconscious Sienna.

I could feel some metallic shards cutting into my jacket, but none reaching too deep through my clothes.

_**John, you need to-**_

I wasn't listening, I couldn't listen. No distractions, just actions.

The Scorpion Faunus' cackling had persisted despite the subsequent soaring into the nearby wall, some of the upper section of the building came down onto him and yet the man seemed mostly untouched, if not for some tears on his clothes.

"Marvelous- but not enough~!"

"Mr. Bukharin, duck!"

I barely heard the voice of the soldier, yet I complied as a volley of bullets slammed into a surprised Tyrian.

His aura sponging the sudden attack, yet the bastard didn't seem willing to linger as the soldiers continued to approach the two of us.

"Ah, you need to believe it, Bukharin," He said with that infuriating smile. "Join the queen, she will reward you immensely and offer you the greatest of the gifts possible. And maybe you will be able to keep your little kitty cat."

A brief giggle was let out, then he rushed quickly away as he threw a small object on the ground- _that revealed to be a flashbang._

A bright light engulfed the entire section, and none of the soldiers fired their guns again over this distraction to avoid hitting me in the process.

Once sight was restored to everyone around, the aggressor was no longer around to be captured… leaving me to deal with the fact that not only this wasn't a victory-

_**But Sienna got poisoned in the process too because she had to take the bloody hit for me.**_

* * *

"Doctors say that she didn't lose too much blood, and that she should be stabilize fairly soon." Ironwood muttered from his seat. "The issue is the poison."

Yet I didn't give him sign of actually paying him any attention, my full focus fixed onto the unconscious form that was resting on the hospital bed in front of me.

Of all situations that I could've predicted as possible outcomes of that horrible circumstance, this one had completely been either ignored or just passed as nigh-impossible.

I was silent, even Ozpin and Salem failing to get me to say something about the matter as I felt myself in the brink of collapse.

Despite the optimistic perception that the medics assigned to Sienna had over her recovery, I was confident that it wasn't an utter certainty.

Qrow received a scratch in Volume 4, and he almost died there. The Tiger Faunus was literally stabbed and she had been injected with far more poison than the Branwen had in canon.

I didn't need to have a PhD in Medicine to know that the situation was far worse and far more difficult to deal with.

Maybe the saving grace was that she was being treated in an official hospital instead of a bunch of young huntsmen, but I wasn't certainly going to show any relief in that infuriating moment.

I was angry… at myself.

I should've moved- I could've moved.

Yet I had thought instead of acting. It was ironic how Tyrian had been correct with that statement.

It had been suddenness, the fright of the development that caught me off-guard.

And that sore mistake had seen Sienna pay a non-negligible price.

The General had been there for just a couple of minutes, yet he didn't try to offer any consolation other than the standard sentences an acquaintance could offer around.

It wasn't like he didn't want to try, but I could see that he was unsure how to tackle my current mood.

And I wasn't even going to reprimand him for that, as I too was unsure of what I was supposed to feel right now.

I was stuck in a loop I've never been forced to deal with. None of those I knew about had ever come so close to die like this.

The immediate action, the blink within a lifetime.

Stirring deeply but important, my anger only served as a newer reason to bash my indecision, and I was left to face a music I wasn't happy to be subjected to.

I was alone in that dark moment, and I didn't even dare to look for any messages or lost calls in my Scroll.

None of the news outlets had even come close to mention the full extent of the damage caused to the victims of the 'terrorist assault' at the Schnee Mansion.

Jacques was contacted by the army mere hours after the situation was solved, and some inspectors were sent to check on him the very moment that all calls had failed to reach him.

He was found in quite an indiscreet position, one that actually ended up showing a detail of the man I hadn't thought him possible of.

He was alive, and doing particularly well as he was taken by the soldiers for some questioning.

The young woman that he had been found with was a little less happy to be caught in quite the awkward role within that office.

Who would've thought that Atlas had their own prostitutes.

I would've laughed at the ironic detail that the 'greatest' kingdom actually had the greatest non-descript service in Remnant.

But right now? I was doing my best to not just fall asleep.

Hazel's punch had left my torso a little sore, but nothing that had warranted the application of any medical bandage… yet I had been 'ordered' by the medics that I needed some rest to recover from the trauma.

I had been there to see the close-up of the situation happening, I was there to see the gore in its most glorious take.

…

I've seen plenty of wounds, quite a lot of horrible and gruesome sights too- I wasn't feeling 'traumatized' over that very detail.

The issue was that it had to happen to her.

"**I think I've all the reasons of the world to be worried."**

When was the last time I was the one actually worried for her? Have I ever considered worrying for her wellbeing?

Sienna was a tough woman with determination and bravery that easily exceeded a large majority of individuals in this world.

Sanity? She offered whatever she could muster while facing my absurd resolutions to some silly quandaries.

I mean, using Mentos and Pepsi? That's pretty childish, and stupid. Even though she wouldn't realize what both of these were, I could see her pester me with her own stress and irritation.

It wasn't a whine, it was more of an attempt to keep connected despite the differences between us.

And no, I wasn't just referring to appearance and biology.

She was stubborn, level-headed, but also terribly naive before the ways to answer to simple questions.

I was paranoid, prone to jump at the weirdness, and horribly over-exaggerating while facing any issues in my path.

We were different, but we were in the same boat. We've been like that for a long time now.

And now she wasn't there to scold me, to prove that she was still going to make it.

I thought that I was going to be left alone for the remainder of the day, that perhaps nobody would've approached me with how dreadful my state was right now.

I blinked, my belly grumbled quietly, but the hunger wasn't just reaching my brain as I continued in that simple task of watching over the Tiger Faunus.

She was resting without complications, her stab wound had been properly bandaged, but I could see some blood and purplish hue form within the white of the medical cloth.

It reminded me of his cackles, of his belittling, of his sudden and unwanted victory.

I hadn't thought about facing Tyrian. I had really hoped that someone else would've taken him out for good.

Someone that had the means to counter his semblance, to kill the bastard the most anticlimatic way possible.

Yet fate was cruel, and so was the one that was indirectly responsible for Sienna's wounds.

My hopes of being left alone were interrupted when I noticed that Ironwood had returned back in the room, his hands being busied by what looked to be two steamy cups of coffee.

I felt tempted to sip at the bitter substance, going against the mere principle that I just didn't like the bitterness.

**And I really don't need to turn into Shade 2.0, especially with how ugly the situation was right now.**

I stared at the cup, taking it to warm up my cold hands, but keeping myself from diving down for a quick sip.

"The Council has just concluded an emergency session two hours ago," The General began to explain quietly, appearing uncertain of what he really wanted to tell me with this. "Hazel Rainhart and Tyrian Callows have been branded as terrorists and enemies of the nation."

I snorted blankly. "Good for Atlas… I guess."

The man paused at my sarcasm, but didn't seem much irritated by it.

"I've started to create a task force that will serve to find and capture for trial both men," He continued with a calm voice. "I want you to join it."

…

"I'm a mere diplomat to Menagerie. I'm not an Atlesian citizen-"

"Honorary citizenship," James interjected with a small smile, presenting two documents that I quickly settled on my lap, just so that I could place the steamy mug away. "The Council saw it fit to bestow both you and Ms. Khan with these for your brave service done to aid Atlas."

At least now I can die with a bright smile because I'm a citizen of the Great and Glorious Atlas.

I closed my eyes and… sighed.

"It was Ozpin. Wasn't it?"

…

I opened up to stare at the General, the man looked like a deer caught in headlights, with his surprise and his panic mixing well within his expression.

I graced him with a sigh. "What does he want from me?"

Once more I was given silence as an answer… at least for a couple of minutes.

"He just wants to talk with you," He assured. "He was fascinated with… her interest for you."

"I will not join any sides," I pointed out quietly. "I will accept to talk, but I will not take part with any activity with his group."

"You would be protected," James tried to explain, making me almost sigh in utter disappointment at that very _ironic point to sustain this stupid thesis._

"James… please tell me, do you believe in fairy tales?"

…

"Why are you asking me of-"

"I don't," I interrupted with a nod. "I never believed in any of that. Sure, some are pretty stories that can make a child giggle and wonder… but I never strayed away from the initial wonder, I always saw the 'flaws' behind the tales."

I looked once more at Sienna. "Fairy tales give hope. Even when there shouldn't be none."

"Ozpin's mission is just-"

"But his ways are flawed," I interjected again, drawing a huff at his stubbornness. "The way to Hell is paved by good intentions… and cemented by avoidable mistakes."

The General kept quiet, listening as I continued with that soft-voiced rant.

"Let me ask you this then if you believe in him so much," I commented with a hum. "Would you believe me if I said that he can't kill Salem?"

…

"He can't kill her. You could, I could," I stated with a tired tone. "I mean, we would need some serious equipment to actually deal some damage and put her down for good, but Ozpin can't just do it right now."

He blinked. "Why?"

I nodded at his question and smiled. "Because he doesn't want to."

"She's trying to exterminate humanity-"

"He was reluctant to call her his enemy even when she killed their children before his eyes," I pointed out sternly. "He still has that reluctance, and that's why we will lose if he doesn't just accept that she can't just be saved."

At this, the militaryman frowned. "What do you mean saved?"

"Salem tends to tell her real story to her minions, it makes things less awkward- distrust less likely to fester," I admitted with some minor amusement. "But no, the way I learned about the truth wasn't from her."

"Who told you then?" He pressed on, making me sigh in annoyance at his irritating crescendo.

"Relic of Knowledge, and let's just say that there's a lot to say… and you should really get it told by Ozpin," I replied with a dry tone.

"He wouldn't say anything about-"

"Threaten him that I will tell you if he doesn't. That he will accept."

"You're making it seem like he is so easy to push around."

_**I'm not.**_

**[You are~.]**

"There are buttons that can be pressed," I said while nodding at him. "But I think it's time we… return on the real dilemma. Why should I join this team?"

James seemed to sober up instantly at the question.

"Right now we've dispatched our best toxicologists to try and find an antidote to the poison harming Ms. Khan," He mentioned with a calm sigh. "If we recover Callows, we can surely get the process reduced to a minimum."

"You mean if we capture him-"

"We have elevate chances of saving Ms. Khan," He interrupted me, causing me to frown. "That's why I'm choosing the best we've right now. From Specialists to Huntsmen."

I blinked at the comment, but I gave him a slow nod.

"If this truly helps Sienna, I will… join," I admitted with some hesitation. "But I will not take part in any military operations for Atlas after this."

He gave a nod at that. "I can accept that and… the first meeting will be tomorrow morning. You will be taken to the temporary headquarters, given some equipment and a nickname."

I blinked at that last bit, especially since 'Bukharin' was already my nickname.

Still, I didn't question the logic and took a quick sip from the steamy cup I had forgotten to have left to the side.

Only to flinch at the bitter taste that entered my mouth.

_**Seriously, how does Shade love this?**_

* * *

**AN**

**Sounds like I'm taking shots at a certain fellow Author, but it's more of a fun poking. I think Shade is an amazing writer (and it's not like I wish to be noticed by senpai for once- Mph!).**

**Still, John is pulling a… Wick?**

**I really don't think Sienna would be happy to know that she got the role of the 'pet' getting attacked for the hero to go in a fun spree.**

**Plus she is the one getting maimed this seriously. Goddammit, John!**

_**And yes, Jimmy is part of the task force too. I will give him the role he deserved.**_

**P.S. Did you know that another 'John Bukharin' got thrown in a far worse universe? I mean, the Dragon Ball Z universe just three years before the beginning of the Android Saga is an odd point where to be inserted into. Check out 'Rush for Greatness'! (Mr. Popo is not the Canon version.)**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Gabe2000****: I think the Ara Ara kind from Hazel would be a little worse than Deadly.**

**NazgulBelserion****: Three things: Pepsi, Mentos, and metal shards.**

**Ciel Blaze****: At this point of the timeline, his sister is already dead. So yes, he's working under Salem.**

**Fuyuki365****: Yep.**

**Matsuda Macober****: Sudden OP magic can disrupt the flow and the realism. I don't want to keep him weak forever, it's just that I'm not pulling some sudden boosts out of nowhere… and now he's going in a military mission so… Magical John Wick?**

**Yeetus deletus****: You wrote something amazing. And I can say that you might've tapped into one of the ideas I will make into fanfic in a couple of months from now. The theme? The Bukharinverse.**

**The Keeper of Worlds****: You can't outbone the tactical bo-… actually, it's best to not continue that counter.**


	24. Party Hardy (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Men should be either treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injuries - for heavy ones they cannot.__"_** – Niccolo Machiavelli**

**Chapter 24: Party Hardy (3)**

* * *

Ironwood didn't wait much to call, in fact I almost jumped when the phone started to buzz three hours after he had left the medical room. The conversation was fairly brief as it focused only on the important details like the address where I was supposed to be. I was slightly nervous, yet a mere look at Sienna's pained form was enough to get me going with a blank expression.

If the circumstances hadn't included the possibility of her death, I would've probably been giddy to go and see which kind of shady military room the General had decided to setup the briefing.

Before actually being sent there, I was first 'advised' to give a visit to the local armory right at the military headquarters that housed our things. The soldier that was assigned to the special lockers was legitimately surprised when he realized that a 'civvie' had been given a special number to pick one of the few available boxes with equipment.

I gave a quiet glance at the smooth, metallic texture of the small crate before I took it in my arms. Then I was led to the changing area where soldiers were supposed to put on their uniforms and armor. The room was particularly large for a single individual, yet I didn't linger with my staring as I quickly opened the box and slowly started to switch my current diplomat clothes with what was inside there.

**[C-Could you please warn beforehand next time?]**

_Sorry._

The armor was a dark-gray, quite the different contrast with the stark white of the standard color for Atlesian soldiers. But the biggest of the surprises as I started to put the pieces on was that it all fit perfectly with my frame.

I had grown slimmer since the first day I had spent in Remnant, a mix of unhealthy escapes and being subjected to some aggressive training under Sienna's supervision. It was nothing special, I was slim but far from athletic.

_**You would be surprised how much that matters in the scope of things. I don't think I need to remind you of Port.**_

_You know, Peter Port isn't the one I really want to think about when I'm trying to change my clothes._

The helmet had a large visor that was polarized on the outside, making it impossible for my identity to be noticed much to my relief. As soon as I had put it on, the entire system installed within it slowly came to life.

I was partly reminded of an ODST's visor, with all the startup details and process buzzing for a while before offering me quite the barest HUD possible. No advanced grid, but I had a small radar-like section on the lower-left section of my sight.

And while the system continued to go through calibrations, I continued with putting on what was left within the box. The rest of the armor followed a similar style to a regular Atlesian soldier armor, but the number '2' was emblazoned on both front and back.

Once I was done with the with the whole process, I took notice of the fact that there was no weapon within the crate. Only the clothes I had removed and put in there. Perhaps Ironwood had plans to give weapons only after the briefing. It wouldn't have been smart of him to give me a super-armor and a gun to someone that would easily skip the meeting and rush to intercept the two criminal.

Closing the box and walking back to the entrance where the head of the armory was, I proceeded to leave my stuff there, and soon I was out of the building walking with my own 'super-suit'. And I felt quite empowered when I made my very first step by the streets. People would spare me some passing glances, some had their eyes widen up at the unique version of armor I was donning, but none actually stopping me to inquire about it. It was an odd experience to say the least.

The walk was also pretty brief as soon I found myself entering into the main section of Atlas Academy. Differently from Beacon, the school wasn't located away from the capital, but within it. The entire place was bustling with active people going through their errands, with some students and soldiers taking the same ways and creating a hive-like complex within the humongous entrance room.

Wandering up to the one of the available receptionists, I quietly greeted the young woman with a quick nod.

"Hello sir, how may I help you-"

"General Ironwood invited me for an enlightening conversation about Jokers and Tragedies."

A strange secret phrase to avoid any awkward issues, but one with some logical sense behind it as Tyrian and Hazel have been codenamed respectively 'Joker' and 'Tragedy'. Ironic that the laughing madman with a chronic need to cause people pain was nicknamed like the archnemesis to Batman.

But Tragedy? I could see Hazel getting miffed at discovering that the general lines of his own purpose and become his newest name. And I would gloat each and every second at that kind of reaction.

The young woman tensed up a little bit surprised at the sudden sentence, yet she nodded as her eyes flashed recognition at my words.

"H-Headmaster Ironwood is already waiting by his office," She muttered back. "You may use the staff-reserved elevator to reach it."

I nodded, holding back a thank you as I really wasn't in the mood of pleasant chatting. The elevator itself was devoid of any individuals using it and I was glad to enjoy some moments of lone thoughts about the current situation.

_What kind of office does Ironwood have?_

_**Hmm? I guess it's similar to mine… but uglier.**_

_Ugly?_

_**I refuse to add more. Just don't nag at me once you got a glimpse at it.**_

Now, that was quite the reaction out of the usually stoic wizard and, the very moment that the elevator came to a stop, I took a moment to study the entirety of the room.

It was spacious, perhaps a little less than Ozpin's office back in Beacon, yet I couldn't see anything even remotely 'ugly' in there. It had a soft dark-blue as a major theme, some star-like decorations by the floor and a big window-like complex by the deepest section of the room, where the main chair and desk were.

I advanced thorough the room, my sight fixed right at the two waiting individuals by the desk. James was donning a similar armor with helmet and protective plates being a pristine white compared to the dark-gray that were the ones worn by the figure sitting by one of the four available chairs in front of the desk.

The clue that made me realize that it was Ironwood? The stature and the frame. Only a couple of people in Remnant had that kind of physique and my estimation was proven right as the man took notice of me.

"Misfit-02, please take a seat near Misfit-03. We're still waiting for the rest of the squad before starting the briefing."

Curt, direct and incredibly friendly. Goddammit, why the show got him to appear so distrustful in so many occasions?

I gave him a nod, still pondering over the fact that my denomination was now 'Misfit-03' while I complied with his words and took a seat beside my soon-to-be teammate.

The first thing that I noticed of the armor-clad fellow was the slender denotation of the armor and a more 'stuff' by the area of the chest. A woman, I could see her stare at me as soon as I was seated.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," She politely said, drawing a quick frown from me as I realized that her voice was slightly distorted.

_**I suppose James had taken some precautions to protect your identities.**_

_And I forgot to activate it._

**[Yep.]**

_Fuck._

Unwilling to leave the polite interaction go wasted, I proceeded to let out some fake coughs while I spoke.

"L-Likewise," I replied, getting a confused posture from the woman and a sigh from Ironwood himself.

"Misfit-02, your voice modulator device is in the lower right section of your helmet."

I nodded, slowly reaching for the small switch in there to activate it.

**[Ease up, soldier. You have yet to go for the battlefield.]**

_I just forgot. No nervousness-driven fail._

_**That's what you said everything you manage a nervousness-driven fail.**_

_Oh, can it for once!_

"Sorry," I muttered quietly at the two occupants, relief washing over my body as I now had a distorted voice too.

"Ah, don't worry," Misfit-03 mused with a sympathetic smile. "I had a similar problem myself when I first arrived to the office."

I blinked at that little confession, but I nodded at that show of genuineness. I couldn't see what her expression was because of her polarized visor, but I half-expected a smile waiting on the other side of the small glass.

As soon as this little mistake was fixed, the door of the elevator opened again to reveal a tired-looking figure donning the same armor as I had. This one had a '4' on it.

"S-Sorry, I was late because-" An oddly-familiar feminine voice started to explain in the middle of her drained breaths.

"The Voice Modulator, Misfit-04."

Ironwood sounded quite stern there and the girl seemed to realize the mistake at once as she swiftly reached to where the switch was.

"S-Sorry, Headma-_General Ironwood_."

And I thought I was bad, yet my mistake paled at the chaotic introduction to the supposed last member to the team.

"At ease, Misfit-04," The leader muttered calmly before gesturing at me and the woman beside me. "And please, take a seat by-"

"U-understood."

She rushed to pick a seat beside me, clearly ignoring the fact she had interrupted her superior officer with that panicked response. To be fair, I could only imagine that she was close to have a meltdown at the fact she was here to begin with.

_Am I wrong in thinking this might be a student?_

_**It wouldn't be odd for James to bring up some prodigious student to his private missions, but it's always the ones that are expected to hold it together… not anyone like her.**_

**[While I wouldn't be as insensible as Ozma, he has a point. This girl doesn't seem mentally prepared for the mission.]**

_...Bah, you're both wrong. Look at Ruby, see how far she went from being a childish fifteen years-old._

There was no response after that, but I didn't expect to hear one as the briefing finally started. A holographic map appeared above the desk while Ironwood moved around and in front of it.

"A couple of hours ago, the Schnee Manor was attacked by the duo formed by Tyrian Callows, codename 'Joker', and Hazel Rainhart, codename 'Tragedy'. Their objectives were the kidnapping of Diplomat John Bukharin and the assassination of both Nicholas and Willow Schnee," James started to explain with a serious tone, instantly drawing out from me a confused look.

I was well-aware that the two had tried to kidnap me but… didn't Hazel mention that he had just wanted to kidnap me and nothing else?

_**A lie. Hazel might appear as a blunt and somewhat honest individual, but I can't see the kind of person he is to lazily admit that he wanted to kill the mother and the grandfather in front of the three children in that room.**_

Now, wasn't that a surprise? But then again, why would they have needed to go as far as kill the adults in that room?

"After some developments born from the recent investigations, it was confirmed that the individual that provided them the means to enter the manor without activating the security system and the one that provided them with the task of assassinating both key targets was none other than the same person. Jacques Schnee."

"Wait, what?" Misfit-04 seemed to almost shriek in shock at the revelation. "B-But isn't he married and-"

She stopped as I tugged at her sleeve, forcing her attention to slip away from her little outburst and back to reality. Glancing briefly to look at me in confusion, she seemed to perfectly realize on her own what just happened.

Tensing up, the girl lowered her stare at the silent General. "Apologies, sir."

… "As I was saying, Jacques Schnee was apprehended and interrogated thoroughly after he was caught in quite the curious situation with someone that claimed to be his 'only truest lover'. Some suspicions had sprung from this very instance and the fact that the man didn't have a proper reason to skip the important dinner," James continued with his serious tone. "The finest interrogator within the army managed to get some answers out of him and none was as 'simple' as everyone here would hope."

As he finished this last sentence, various letters opened up in front of the holographic map and… some were very awkward to read. The 'businessman' hadn't been much bright over his attempts to usurp the company ever since he got married with Willow.

At first those were letters to gain some more powers through new roles within the company. Most of those either rebuked with a solid 'no' from Nicholas, or even outright ignored by the founder of the SDC. The irritation started to appear in some of the examples until the final letter that tried to alter the last wills of his father-in-law.

If up until now Misfit-04 had been shocked, this new sight got her floored over the matter. I was actually surprised that Misfit-02 seemed hardly fazed by the images, and her posture left no signs of genuine reaction to this situation.

"As of now, Jacques Schnee has been confined until a date for his trial can be set. His crimes have been confirmed to be over High Treason against Atlas and planned murder attempt on his wife and father-in-law," The General resumed with no major change in his voice, yet I couldn't help but be glad that the dangerous exploiter got locked in some cold cell. But while I was glad to see the scumbag yanked away from his previous position of power, I couldn't help but sadly think about the impact this predicament was having on the rest of the family.

Willow had yet to fully understand how devious her father was, and her younger siblings weren't better on that department. The only one that could get saved was Whitley since the boy was too young to ponder properly about this complicated case.

"Yet, this is but the background of what our mission is going to be," The man finally said much to my annoying impatience. "Right now, Joker and Tragedy have been sighted in Mantle, but they have been prevented to leave the city thanks to the quick intervention of the Militia and the Police to close down all entry points."

"General, was a curfew implemented to avoid the presence of any innocents in the streets?" Misfit-02 inquired with a genuine note of concern.

"The police applied the standard emergency curfew. As of now, nobody is wandering the streets of Mantle."

We all shared a nod, but the briefing was far from over.

"Our mission will be to search through the suspicious buildings where the two men had been sighted," The General continued. "From there, it's suggested to capture Joker because someone was stung by his powerful poison and we need to find an antidote to it. But Tragedy can be killed on sight."

I almost nodded when he mentioned Sienna, but I held back from giving out my identity to my other teammates.

"The team formed to deal with this mission is made by me, Misfit-01, then by Misfit-02 and Misfit-03, both close-range specialists, and finally Misfit-04, the long-range specialist."

A sniper. I almost snorted at the fact that many characters that made use of snipers were quite awkward in RWBY. I wonder if it's made on purpose or not…

My attention shifted away from my thoughts as I turned at the strange noise coming from the desk. A small space was opened as a hidden compartment moved up to show three cased lined horizontally on the table, each sporting a number from two to four.

"I saw fit to get prepared for each of you the proper equipment for your roles," James said while gesturing us to stand up. "These are still advanced weapons that shouldn't be misused during the mission, and I will warn you about this just once. I expect utmost respect with the 'treats' offered to you all."

I didn't wait any longer and slowly went to open up the case with the '2'. I blinked as I noticed a futuristic, white-painted rifle encompassing the entire length of the container. I lifted it up and blinked at the little electric crackle coming from within the tool.

"The ASH-12 is one of the most recent models of the Electric Generation of Shotgun," Ironwood described with some pride over the nice thing in my hands. "It's been years since we've started working on Electricity-based means to reduce the use of slug-action rifles, and this scattershot shotgun is-"

"So cool!" Misfit-04 interrupted giddily, gaining a frown out of me as she peered off from over my shoulder. "That means halved reload time, quick-paced shooting and… Oh, sorry."

She retreated the mere moment she realized she was literally resting her chin on my shoulder, almost too familiarly for my happy self. Like really, what the heck is going on with this girl?

Shrugging off this strange sensation about the odd girl, I moved my attention back to the next case and… I blinked in surprise at what I saw.

Misfit-03 pulled out a simple handle out of the container, yet she pressed one of the buttons in there and… a retractable staff expanded, soon to be coated in electricity enough to form a… light-blue saber.

"The MAS-7 is an advanced Infantry Saber developed for those few specialists worth of its power and speed. It has two main features with the Attack form being the one you currently deployed-" The General continued with these descriptions, only to pause as the woman pushed another button. The following effect was that the blade bent a little and the electricity moved to form a… shield.

"Fascinating," Misfit-03 commented while waving a little the newly-formed defensive form. "I suppose it has some limits since its based with electricity."

While Ironwood went to explain a little more the merits and flaws of the MAS-7, I felt tugged away by some words being whispered by the confusing fourth member of this squad. I noticed that she was staring at the blade with her head tilted to the side. I couldn't recognize any of her muffled whispers and… she turned to look at me.

"Is there something wrong?"

I blinked, surprised by her sudden query. "Not truly. No."

The girl didn't press further, and I moved my stare away as it was finally her turn to reveal her 'cool' sniper.

The box opened and soon the girl was shivering in eagerness at the monstrous thing she had just unleashed. It had been folded to be properly put within the container and… it was a very **strong-looking** sniper. If before this moment I thought Anti-Tank snipers were the strongest kind of guns of their kind… but then someone decided to introduce the anti-building sniper that I was currently looking at.

_**That's truly a powerful-looking gun.**_

"The AMOR-13 is something I could say was the most expensive to recover, but I feel quite certain that this gun is the best fit for you. It's a-"

"A High-Velocity Electromagnetic Sniper that literally makes any other sniper pale in comparison! More than twelve shots in the chamber, its explosive rounds are devastating enough to shatter through buildings and-"

"You're hugging it a little to eagerly, 04," I interrupted dryly, my sassy comment getting the girl to tense up in shock at my words.

"W-what about it? Shouldn't I embrace such a masterpiece of a gun? This beauty of a gunsmith's dream?"

More like a wet dream from the way you're molesting that poor gun. Sure, I would certainly be driven to cuddle into that mass of unadulterated destruction-causer without hesitation, but I would've done it in private, away from the eyes of others.

_There is a standard in loving good-looking guns!_

_**I thought that it was a syndrome restrained to the Rose family. I can now say for sure that there are two cases beyond that line.**_

**[Is is normal for someone to be kissing a weapon like that?]**

_**That is a sight I've been bestowed… for over sixty years now.**_

"You shouldn't molest that 'masterwork', you brat," I retorted at being subjected at that sudden aggressive tone.

I could feel her glaring back at me now. "Don't call me- a brat!"

"Perhaps you should both stop behaving like brats," 03 piped in with a motherly tone. "I understand that you are incredibly tense for the situation, but I suggest it would be better to focus on our mutual issue rather than bicker with each other."

There was silence after those good words and I couldn't help but lower my head in a moment of shame. Perhaps I had gotten my nerves burning a little more than usual now that I knew that Sienna was in danger.

The same action was followed by 04, the girl looking nervous all at once at being reprimanded together with me.

I sighed. "Look- I'm sorry that I snapped a little. I just have some troubles that need fixing once this is all over."

"I-I understand," She replied quietly. "I do have some issues to deal too, a-and I hope you find a solution to your troubles."

"Likewise, 04," I said while I smiled at that truthful sentence.

I felt a little less at the world after butting head with someone about something so silly and easy to resolve. But before I had the chance to resume the conversation, Ironwood decided to intervene with a tired sigh.

"While I'm glad you got these divergences sorted out this early on, I think it's time we move on to the real mission," The General commented with a calm tone, directing us to look at part of the office that was now opening to reveal a private landing zone where an airship was waiting for us to board it. "I shall offer more explanations over the matter once we arrive in Mantle."

We all nodded, slowly following the armored officer up to the open section of the bullhead-like vehicle, settling down by the seats available there while the pilot began the lift off.

The procedure was slow, but as soon as the airship was stable enough and away from the ground, it soared over Atlas and then down to Mantle, the sight of the former Capital of the Kingdom already making me unnerved over the situation we were supposed to deal as of now.

It was quite the unpleasant place where to go for the holidays. I could see plenty of reasons to never visit it considering the polluted air and the cracked walls just making it appear like some rundown city that had been forsaken by God- the Gods to be precise.

Just as the airship hovered over the city, I started to notice that something was off in the already badly-shaped settlement. I could see fire, I could hear screams and inhuman roars happening down below.

"General, I think there is a big problem," I muttered, but the man was already distracted with his communication device, discussing with the men on the ground.

There was some tense silence at this, but soon the General was done with his quick interaction through his Scroll. "The situation has escalated. Grimm have somehow invaded the section where Joker and Tragedy have been spotted and… they might be trying to force themselves into one of the blocked entry points."

He stood up from his seat, standing beside me as we both stared at the predicament. "Seriousness is a must. I don't need to explain that civilians are at risk as we're speaking right now."

The rest of the squad nodded and soon the pilot managed to get to land in the closest landing zone to the epicenter of the chaos. I was the first one to step out of the airship, my hands grasping tightly at the shotgun as my visor finally twitched and displayed a proper grid for the weapon I was holding. I could feel the inner Heavy Metal building up as I knew that I had to rip and tear if we wanted to get to where Hazel and Tyrian were right now.

I saw police officers, militia members and some Atlesian soldiers scrambling to aid the evacuation of the civilians that had to be forced out of their homes. Howles rippled through the cacophony of gunshots and explosions, with various Beowolves trying to overwhelm the stiff resistance created by the combined forces.

From survival in the woods to a wartorn battleground. The irony of someone that wanted a peaceful life. But I guess that I, just like a certain Yoshikage Kira, will have to take onto the challenge and deal with the disturbance.

…

Of course Kira is a serial killer and I'm not, still I wanted to appear cool. I needed the cool, the hype. I had to go through the horde of Grimm with the rest of the group.

Ironwood didn't linger too much, already leading us towards the large skirmish in front of us, with 03 keeping close to me while 04 deviated from following us and actually reach a favorable positions to start to snipe down the various monsters down.

With the General taking the first shots with his handgun, I decided to focus my attention at the approaching pack of Beowolves that had detached from the main force.

I huffed, my aim quickly directed at the head of the Alpha and- _**BANG!**_

The powerful blast tore through the head and spine _and torso of the bastard_. I saw the creatures almost tripping at the sudden wake-call and I felt the need to show affection to the monstrous tool of death and sorrow that I had been bestowed with.

I could now feel what 04 was feeling just a while ago-

"_Told ya!_"

I blinked, returning back on reality as I saw two of the remaining Grimm getting blasted to dust by the girl and her possibly-compensating sniper.

_She isn't that much tall._

_**But so you are too.**_

**[You're just average in height. I think. Is this average in this modern times?]**

Ozpin didn't reply to that question much to **his** immense relief and I focused on taking down the three wolf-like monsters in front of me.

The scattershot didn't disappoint as I destroyed the creatures the same way their leader died. In the fashion of utter annihilation and lack of gruesome details because of their odd biology.

_Why am I sad that I'm not seeing some blood getting spilled?_

**[Your 'girl that is also a friend' is bedridden and close to death, your brain is getting influenced by the rush of the moment and… when was the last time you drained your stress?]**

_**The answer to that query is never. I think we might be seeing some madness happening rather soon and… why the hell James gave him an overpowered Shotgun.**_

But I wasn't listening anymore. I had entered in my happy place, and I was _happily decimating Grimm while the former couple debated about the current state of my sanity._

Misfit-03 seemed to be doing fine, cleaving her way through four Beowolves that had unluckily rushed all at once towards her. A clean and swift streak that was soon increased by more unfortunate fiends joining that meat-grinding experience.

04 was almost giggling through the comms as she sniped without mercy nor restrain all of the Grimm that ended up in her sight. There was just a degree of frustration being released so fiercely and furiously in that manner… and I wasn't certainly holding back myself from smiling happily at the destruction.

It was the right thing to do, especially since Grimm were known to fester in negative emotions. I needed to attain peace through violence and… there was nothing amoral in going berserk on Mami Salami's little minions.

**[Which is why I see nothing wrong with that. Actually, I wouldn't mind jumping in and help you if I could.]**

_**This has nothing to do about the fact that the Grimm are part of your other self-**_

**[Of course that is also another reason to join the fun feast. Why wouldn't I want to murder and destroy the atrocious abominations she had created when she had done the same with my baby girls?]**

_**Nevermind, you're both lost causes.**_

I was too hellbent in the carnage, to take notice of that, with Ironwood starting to lead the troops deeper in the dangerous area and into the next large section of resistance formed by the creatures of darkness.

I primed the shotgun, my heartbeat quickening at the symphonious urgency of my adrenaline. I could feel the next wave come, and the more died, the more closer we would get to the two bastards.

Finally the entirety of my stress unraveled before the monsters, and I had little to worry about with people covering my arse if I went to deep in my brief bout of insanity.

Rip and tear, I found myself humming harmoniously. Rip and tear.

* * *

**AN**

**Okay, maybe it's more of Doomslayer than John Wick. I mean, the motivations for both characters are similar to a strange degree (yet I'm sure that Daisy was killed after Doom 1), but the murderous emotion is still there.**

**Rip and Tear… I guess? **

**** Also, who is Misfit-04? And why she seems so familiar?****

**P.S. Kind of ironic that the current followers number in FFN is 606... **


	25. Party Hardy (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_A friend of mine told me to shoot first and ask questions later. I was going to ask him why, but I had to shoot him.__"_** – John Wayne**

**Chapter 25: Party Hardy (4)**

* * *

The world was pure chaos. And I liked it now better than before.

Everything was just simpler. It made sense in an easier way. I had a gun, I had to shoot bad things. Humans good, Grimm bad. Kill the Grimm, win the day. I could almost chuckle at how quickly I had zoned out from my nervous state and dipped deep within my 'murderous' instincts.

It was all a mechanism that strayed from when I used to play competitively with various FPS that had the action, the blood-pumping sensation of adrenaline, as the main core of their titles. Call of Duty, Battlefield- Doom was the 'newest' title that got me giddy at the opportunity of delving in the lore of that world while shattering through the Infernal Wave of Demons.

And while this excitement in brutally butchering the attackers of Mantle should've warranted confusion to any humane onlookers over my brazen rush through the horde of Grimm, a mix of Beowolves and Ursas, before I started to obliterate group in a couple of shots from my laser shotgun, the fact that I was channeling my inner frustrations out by exterminating Grimm made it more like a much-needed quality from my part.

Ironwood didn't look fazed by my behavior, but I saw 03 appearing quite tense over my swift assaults. 04 was still humming happily while she continued to snipe down the various Ravagers that were trying to swarm onto the column of soldiers and huntsmen. I had to take a shot at those bat-like fiends more than once, shredding through entire groups with a single blast thanks to the scattering effect of the laser.

The eager sniper was offering as much support as possible, but there were way too many of those to target those all out without causing any distractions to the main column. The run to reach the warehouse section was incredibly slow, and it would be outright stopped by the presence of large numbers of Grimm blocking our way.

But with the large quantity of armed people deployed within the humongous military force, there wasn't even a single casualty in that operation. Various people were brought to the rear lines and to the area assigned to medical works, but none looked to have been hurt beyond repair. Ironwood was keeping his voice loud and clear, ordering both at the battalion and at our task force regarding the threats reaching for us all.

The path was sure a 'muddy' and bloody one, but the it didn't take much for us to finally reach where the few possible warehouses which Tyrian and Hazel were using as hideouts. I was among those that was spearheading the lengthy line of armored soldiers. The first line that was facing the brunt of the Grimm's resistance.

With her saber burning in preparation, 03 kept a steady pace, her helmet scanning around and regarding any spots where sneaky fiends might've prepared an ambush. 04 had jumped closer, running by the roofs of the buildings nearby, the young woman was still shooting flawlessly through her movements. Which was absurd considering the power her sniper was packing.

Adrenaline had long seeped in my bones and muscles. I was starting to feel the drain on my body after twenty intense minutes of dodging, running and retaliating against the monstrous horde lurking about.

The intensity just made things even more close to what I could compare to the quintessential Doom-guy experience, which in turn made my mind mirthfully push my tiring body even further than what I could do at the moment.

It certainly helped that somehow Sally had found about my 'repertoire' of half-songs within my head and she was giddily playing the gruesome game's soundtrack non-stop. Ozpin had taken 'refuge' a couple of meters away from the incredibly loud 'noises' coming from the orb his former wife was playing with. The blonde was just lulling herself with imagery and music, making me worry a little bit that she was getting too much… happy about the slaughtering happening on the 'real world'.

But then again, she had mentioned how killing Grimm now sounded like the best idea of get back at her darker self. I wasn't really tempted to take a moment to inquire about her current state of mind, especially with how vehement she was with her encouraging words and how creative she was over with her advices.

I made a couple of 'glory kills' during the blitz to reach the warehouses, with a couple being 'improved' by the woman's suggestions over 'making things funnier'. Admittedly, while I was delving in my own murderous side, I still had some uneasiness while listening to the blonde's ruthless thoughts over the situation.

Still, Ozpin didn't sound particularly shocked by this tone from his wife, and in fact, he was mirroring a few of the advises with a more moderate tone. Perhaps it was the fact it was the Grimm that was getting to receive the combined homicidal tendencies born from within my spacious mind.

The resulting aftermath of that madness was that I was slightly winded after thirty more minutes had passed. My current killstreak was increasing each second, with 39 Beowolves, 12 Ursa Majors, 3 Geists, a fuck-ton of Ravagers and… I think I killed two Beringels. The bloody daze shrouding my brain from making complicated thoughts had deprived me of the chance of spotting a couple of those monsters as I slayed them down.

I was pretty sure that our eyes from afar was second with her own list, and that was quite impressive since she was supposedly focusing mostly on the 'distractions' trying to attack us than the howling bastards those on the first few rows were facing against.

03 and Ironwood were tying much to my inner shock. While I had seen the saber-wielding lady cutting through all of her attackers, I had failed to notice how the General wasn't slacking off by taking charge of large groups himself.

A second revolver had occupied the leader's free hand, doubling his capacity of decimating through his own assailants. The dark-colored short gun looked to be focused on shooting only Gravity Dust bullets. The sight I had about a few Beowolves being lifted off from the ground only to explode moments after by good-aimed sniper-shots was enough to crack a wider smile on my face.

Humming quietly, we finally stopped by a small crossroad with two streets that led to the epicenter of what looked to be dark smoke covering quite the suspicious building. The very sign was a good and bad omen. It was good because we knew where both scumbags were… but also bad because I had a clue about whom had infiltrated Mantle during the chaos.

_I thought she would've strong-armed an invasion. Why is she even here?!_

_**Because she sensed you- or better- your current magical capacity.**_

**[And with two of her minions and an opportunity to snatch a magic-user, the Queen will make use of this chances of getting a full victory.]**

_That ain't happening on my watch!_

But still, I couldn't really tell Ironwood that the Queen of Grimm was lurking inside that building without getting some more questions… and attention from Ozpin 2. Still, I could see that the General was looking legitimately tense at the sight.

…

Enough for me to elaborate a ploy to offer a fair warning over the situation and perhaps avoid utter demolition by Queen of all Grimm.

"General," I called quietly, drawing the man attention shortly after as he concluded a discussion with other officers. "I don't think I need to point out that whatever is inside that… it might be way beyond our current capacities."

He stared at me intensely for a little while, but then he glanced back at the building much longer than he did with me. Finally, James nodded quietly as he recognized that this was 'beyond' a high-threat level monster within the place and returned to the officers, relaying new orders about setting up a perimeter around the warehouse.

I waited patiently as my stance eased at the lack of imminent problems. The Grimm had retreated away from the area and back within the building, making the place a dangerous big trap that was just waiting to be sprung. 03 stared silently at the building, while 04 descended from her spot and right back to the street, walking up to us.

"What… could be causing this much smoke?" The saber-wielding woman inquired calmly, glancing both at me and the fellow girl. "There's no smell of fire… nor something that can be caused by Dust."

"Something worth a fright or two, and probably worse than standard Grimm," I suggested, getting a nod from 04.

"I bet my baby girl can tear it apart," The girl commented confidently, starting to hug her rifle close and lovingly. "She can do it and much more~."

I frowned. "I think this is the first time I'm in the presence of an armaphile."

"That sounds incredibly wrong. She is just… affectionate to it," 03 rebuked politely before bestowing me with a 'long look'. I couldn't exactly tell from her helmet. "By the way, aren't you hugging your gun too?"

"I'm… carrying it."

_**You're giving it a hug.**_

**[The kind of hug that you would only give to a close friend.]**

_...I didn't know that I was harboring Brutus and Cassius inside my brain._

_**What?**_

**[Is that a reference to… wait, I found it. You're a jerk, I hope you know that.]**

_Et tu, Sally._

**[...Shut up.]**

"With the battalion forming a perimeter around the building, we shall enter inside and retrieve both fugitives on our own," Ironwood briefed with an orderly tone. A small hologram of the building appeared by some device by his palm and two yellow dots on the blue map highlighted the entrance points. "Misfit-04 and I shall enter through the main gates, while Misfit-03 and -02 will make their way inside by the rear entrance."

Nodding at the order, we soon split in the two planned groups. 03 took the lead, slightly walking faster than me as we rushed around the building and towards the ruined staircase that led inside it. The place looked fairly haunted, but the complexity of the area made it stand out compared to older warehouses. It wasn't the classic 'big central room with smaller rooms on the sides' kind of building.

It was… It looked like an office. An abandoned office that was infested with numerous dangerous monsters trying to get an easy kill by hiding around and waiting for some preys to jump.

My stance hardened again as our pace slowed down the moment we stepped inside. We started to look around, knowing that there wasn't going to be any reprieve now that we were back in the danger zone. The light of the woman's saber glowed brightly. The shining beacon of doom cleared some of the shadows away, and leaving just the 'truth' for us to judge.

The first critter that decided to attack was a Sabyr, or just like I've started to call it from the first time I saw it: _A big-ass saber-tooth tiger!_

Imagine my surprise when I saw the dark-furred bastard rushing like a blur towards us and jumping in an effort to pounce. The shotgun blast tore it down without much issue, but the problem came when the following few Sabyrs decided to become martyrs for their queen. This entire situation that smaller Grimm were patrolling around was actually bringing me to a state of uneasiness over the place.

The halls were good enough to accommodate two to four people, but the capacity to move away from large problems was limited by the very space available for us. Our respective reaction-times were put to a test as Grimm started to rush at us through our stroll, and we were pretty aimless as to where to go and search for the two criminals.

"Should we try and get to the next floor or should we just keep walking around until we get some hints where they might be hiding?" 03 inquired as we found ourselves stopping by a staircase that led above.

I blinked, thinking about if it would be convenient to proceed to the upper grounds already. But then again, I wasn't expecting the two to hide by the first floor and… Salem was one that would enjoy a 'higher' seat to monitor the entire situation.

"We go up and… keep your guard up for any jumps."

She nodded, but just as I took the first step forward, I heard something creaking… above. I stopped, instantly realizing that something was indeed wrong with the seemingly-untouched staircase.

While the Warehouse seemed to be fairly odd, the structure was made with solid cement, and to make anything in there creak with that sound… there had to be some hefty weight pressing onto it.

I didn't linger any further on that pause, taking a few more steps to avoid any suspicions from our ambusher. 03 seemed to notice my current state of tension as we proceeded up, but she didn't speak even though I carefully 'eased up' my guard by settling the shotgun by my shoulder and aimed up.

"I swear, this place is haunted. And I'm not referring about the Grimm," I quickly mentioned, faking my tone and voice as to lull our watcher in a false state of victory and eagerness.

Just as the woman regarded me with a confused tilt of head, I saw something purple starting to appear by… the back of her helmet. I didn't hesitate, my index finger pressing the trigger of my gun as I aimed it just up enough to where I predicted the bastard to be.

The neon-like purple disappeared instantly, and the noise of someone coming falling down behind us forced us to turn around. Tyrian howled in agony as he stared at his legs- or what was left of the mangled mess created by the blast of my shotgun. Aura had failed to keep up with the power of the scattershot, and now the Scorpion Faunus was incapacitated from moving away from us.

"That's..."

"Joker. Restrain him before he can react."

03 didn't hesitate for more than just a second, rushing quickly at the distracted crazy man and slamming on his arm what looked to be a needle. So that's what Ironwood had prepared for the occasion, some anesthetic.

With his aura gone, Tyrian went down without much of a fight. But before he was completely unconscious, his lips let out a content half-chuckle and… a muffled word. I frowned at the strange reaction, and the sudden lack of fear at getting captured.

_**We need to go.**_

I didn't even inquire about the quick comment from Ozpin as I knew that we were screwed the very moment I felt a chill trailing down my spine. I heard a soft footstep take my entire attention away from the unconscious Tyrian and right at a couple of steps up by the stairs.

She was there, staring down at me with an impassive stare. Looking as calm and confident as she had back when she was first introduced. Her pale skin almost matching with her lighter shade of white that was her hairs. A dark half-sleeved robe with red decorations… it fit well with the dark scleras and the daunting red eyes that were now fixed at my frame.

Despite my early silence, I couldn't keep this standoff going for so long. Especially since we needed to get Tyrian out of the building with the extent of his injuries. If he was left like this, he was going to bleed out and… the chances of helping Sienna would be nullified. Our efforts rendered vain.

So I sighed, tiredness swelling behind my mask.

"03," I muttered, having some trouble keeping down my panic in my tone. The woman glanced up, freezing in surprise at the demonic appearance that was still looking at me. "Pick up Joker, get to Ironwood and… get reinforcements."

The agent hesitated for a moment, but I was completely attentive of Salem's silent glance.

"Now." The stern word seemed to finally get the masked specialist to move with the captured Tyrian on her hold. Once we were alone, I sighed. "You're not going to win."

"I will catch up to her once I'm done with you," Salem hummed quietly, her voice filled with confidence and certainty. "You should just accept the offer. And perhaps I can see for your friend to be healed without much conflict needed."

"You were the one that ordered Tyrian to harm Sienna and the members of the Schnee family," I rebuked, my calm easily disrupted by the eerie atmosphere created by the Queen's presence. "You're a monster, Salem."

"A monster? But why? Because I look like this? Because I lead a horde of creatures that seek destruction of everything that lives?" She inquired swiftly and without hesitation. "Or could it be because my mere existence is symbol of grief and dishonesty? I'm an example of… true evilness."

"You tried to kill someone I care for. You aimed to do the same with others too," I replied, gritting my teeth at her attempt to deflect my hatred away. "You seriously hope to paint yourself as a misunderstood woman? Do you really think that I would genuinely believe this degree of bullshittery?"

The woman frowned at the foul word, but didn't seem willing to rebuke from that secondary point.

"Reasonably speaking, you're far from the simple-minded individual that can be bought with the realization of some material wish. Yet threats can lead you around for so long, I suppose," Salem commented. "But… I still think that my real offer can perhaps garner your interest."

"There's hardly anything you can offer."

"Truly? How about peace for you and humanity as a whole?" She offered lightly, appearing incredibly genuine about it. "What about the chance of killing me, the opportunity to slay the head to the Grimm horde? What if… I can end this ruthless war that consumes young lives on a daily basis?"

...What?

_**She has to be lying.**_

**[…]**

_**She has to, there's no way that-**_

**[She is telling the truth.]**

_Are you sure-_

_**There's no way that she is being honest! It has to be a trick. A ploy to lower your guard and-**_

"What's the price?"

Her smile widened a little more.

"Your children's and Sienna Khan's lives-"

I didn't let her finish that sentence. The shotgun swiftly aimed at her as I let out a quick blast. The conflagration tore through Salem, and the woman's upper body was obliterated without resistance from the distracted Queen.

I stared at her corpse recoil and stumble backwards. Dark mud had replaced her blood, but the thing that got me to flinch was the messy amount of tendrils carefully reconstructing the woman up to her former state of self.

It was a slow process. Slow enough to allow me to leave the premises of this area without getting attacked by the recovering Grimm leader. Tension erupted from within my chest as my heartbeat picked up at the realization of what had just happened mere moments ago.

_What was that._

It wasn't a question, it was a demand. I wasn't in the mood for deflecting or convoluted answers and it was Ozpin that decided to speak up first.

_**She wasn't asking for servitude. It was a genuine partnership from her part. But to see how devoted you're about your ideals, she put you through a simple test to… to gauge your willingness to embrace the same monstrous personality that led her to this current state.**_

_You mean that… she literally gave me the capacity to end this madness… but only if I killed my family?!_

**[I think it's more… complicated than that. I can't be sure about it but I feel like there is a logical sense to her request.]**

_**Indeed. She needs someone that is capable, loyal, but, most of it all, willing to move around to prevent any issues from that possible peace scenario. She needs someone that can 'understand' her about the pain she is going through even now.**_

_She… she thinks that Sienna and I are a couple?!_

_**Yes. And the Atlesian Gossip is surely going far and wide with theories with how things had gone in the last few days.**_

_That's… that's not possible._

_**Didn't you keep to Sienna's hospital room for several hours? Didn't Sienna go out of her way to 'buy you something'?**_

_Yes- I mean, she did buy me that blasted watch and… I had to be there. She put her life on the line to protect me and-_

**[Stop it.]**

_What? _

_**I find myself agreeing with her. You're being incredibly foolish by considering yourself the sole responsible for Ms. Khan's conditions.**_

_It's not-_

**[If you truly care for her, even as a friend, then you shouldn't be even think that Tyrian attacked with the intentions of harming you. So please… stop this. Do it for her.]**

Before I had the chance of continuing this conversation, I found myself finally reaching to the other side of the building, right near to where the other entrance was. I wandered a little more, hoping to quickly find out where Ironwood, 03 and 04 were.

The stroll lasted a little while longer than I had expected, with me stopping and dealing with some Grimm still patrolling the area I had run into. The growling of the Sabyrs hardly messing with my mind now that I had a case of impending doom currently coming close to regain her full body back through resurrection magic BS.

I finally found the trio (five if I considered the two criminals) by the central work-room. Ironwood was holstering his gun as he continued to stare at Hazel's unmoving corpse. 04 noticed that I had arrived, the girl gasping and drawing everyone's attention at me.

"You survived the scary ghost lady!"

...What the fuck?

In a general situation, I would've inquired a little more about this situation, but then again, time wasn't something I could afford to lose like that. So I turned to the General, ignoring the odd exclamation from the gun-loving girl.

"Sir, we need to leave the area quickly."

"Provide an explanation, Misfit-04," He rebuked quickly, which meant more time wasted there.

"Grimm, black scleras, red eyes. Someone we mutually despise."

The last bit seemed to finally break into James' mind as the officer realized what the heck was wrong with the entire situation.

He turned to 03 and nodded. "Bring Joker to the nearby helipad. We need to-"

"Plan a way to deal with me?"

The tense silence became a deadly one as Salem emerged from the upper floors, slowly descending thanks to the use of a pair of wings appearing behind her back.

"As expected from an excellent military mind, James Ironwood, but sadly enough...there's no way to deal with me," The woman muttered before turning back at me. "That was quite the rude way to deliver a farewell."

I blinked. "Really?"

At my sudden query, she raised a confused eyebrow. Her confusion persisted through I had my shotgun aimed at her and-

**BLAM!**

Differently from before, something odd happened with the blast I had aimed at her. In a normal situation, the laser pellets should've _erased _her body right where the shot was aimed at… but instead of continuing to soar mid-air towards Salem, the pellets were actually stopped by a shield.

I blinked, surprise swelling at first at such a development. Then I heard the warning.

_**Move!**_

I blinked again, this time rolling away as the blast was returned to the sender. And while the pellets slammed well-away from where I was, the following conflagrations still found me engulfed in fire and pain.

I saw the helmet's visor flickering at the powerful explosion blast teared down some of its connectors. My chest felt sore while my arms were burning a little bit as I fell on the ground. The pushback had been strong enough to trip me back, and I expected some more retaliation from the woman… except there wasn't any as someone else moved in.

"Trying to protect him? You're throwing your life away so that he can life?"

The mocking set of fake questions got a snort out of… 04? I couldn't see anything clear with the kind of visor I was bestowed with at the moment. I would've removed the headpiece if I hadn't to deal with the limitation of keeping my identity a secret and actually protection to attacks aimed at my head.

"I think that's enough. You've… harmed way beyond you should've allowed to, Salem."

I felt shock renewed at that revelation, especially since that name wasn't meant to be known by anyone outside of Ozpin's and Salem's respective circles.

But just as I digested this discovery, I soon learned that 04 wasn't done with the surprises. Her helmet slowly came off, revealing her face from behind as she was facing the opposite direction as mine. Still, I could recognize something familiar in that semi-spiky style used to comb her short brown-red hair.

The sight was momentary as the world was soon coated in a white light, and the silence was shattered by the Queen's loud screeches as whatever was happening, it was really working on her.

But for me? I was… tired. Maybe it was my body finally feeling the need to rest, or maybe it was the fall had left me with an annoying concussion that was… slowly driving me to… unconsciousness.

My brain shut down moments later, depriving me to know whenever or not Salem was pushed back or not, if Sienna was alright or not. And why 04's hair looked so familiar… just like that blinding light actually damaging the Queen of Grimm.

_**But for now, I slumbered. And in that silent orchestra, I braced for what was going to be a tumultuous wake up.**_

* * *

**AN**

**I'm tired- Gonna go to bed~!**

**P.S. Yes, the staircase scene is a JoJo Reference;**

**P.P.S. Yes, I really shouldn't take so many hours to write this much.**


	26. The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.__"_** – Marilyn Monroe**

* * *

**Chapter 26: The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (1)**

* * *

_**You know, I think we really need to make contingencies wherever we go. I'm not superstitious, but I'm starting to believe you've been cursed in incurring in dangerous situations.**_

_I mean, this… this isn't the worst that has ever happened to me, isn't it? Didn't I risk to lose my arm with Raven?_

**[Looking back at how things were before you wounded up in Remnant, I would say that the situations where you find yourself suffering mortal injuries have increased exponentially. I would also say that just because you had 'worse', that doesn't mean you're free to rush to get new scars.]**

_How was I supposed to know that your other self was able of deflecting that stuff back!?_

_**Magic is unpredictable. Especially the one deriving from the Gods' meddling. The Queen's power is… not only tainted. It's augmented by the corruption, by the sin, by the negativity within humans' souls.**_

**[Rules of Nature don't limit her abilities. Ozma knows this well considering his first attempts at trying to take her down.]**

_**Which is why trying a direct assault proved to be a stupid mistake to do early on. I lost some 'lives' before realizing how foolish that endeavor was. Truly frustrating, but oddly educative.**_

I grunted at this comment, leaning back on my pillow. With my eyes fixed at the gray ceiling of my room in this military hospital, I had yet to see anyone else visiting. No doctor, no nurse- Heck, I would've liked to see even some patient wandering around but I was confined in that boring place.

The sheets of the bed were incredibly rigid, very sturdy. Which was a distinct contrast to the soft pillows and the mattress. I hadn't much to complain about, and my early issues weren't about the 'questionable' state of the room and bed.

The first thing that I saw was the thick cast that had been applied on my right arm. The thing was quite heavy, forcing me to rest the damaged limb on the mattress, and forcing me against trying to lift it up.

I was surprised by the sight, but then again the explosion that ignited right as I dodged that unexpected counter from Salem had easily broken through my armor. I had some bandaids on my face, but the worst aching came from the part of my body that had been closest to that blast.

The pain wasn't that terrible, and I slowly started to realize that thanks to it I knew that my limb was still there and working. Just incredibly hurt and in a bad shape.

My fingers were still there, but moving those also caused my poor nerves to flare in sudden pain. I was 'mostly' fine, which was good and dandy for me as I really didn't want to lose a limb because of Mami Salami deciding to return my 'kindness' back to me.

Maybe I should've shot her a sneaky blast instead of trying with a lucky shot.

Still, it was pretty silly to whine over past things. What's done is done and… I was really having some trouble in getting a clear understanding how much time had passed since I had collapsed. There was no sign of the armor I had been wearing, plus I was pretty sure that Dark Salem had been pushed back considering that this had to be Atlas.

Way too many cool-looking devices with the Kingdom's insigna plastered on the surfaces. I sighed, quickly engaging in a conversation with Ozpin and Sally about the overall situation.

While the blonde was more worried about my wounds, my attention was legitimately stolen by the former headmaster's comments over the last sight I was bestowed before falling unconscious.

Silver eyes. In Atlas.

…

How?

The show had never mentioned someone else other than Ruby and Summer. Heck, I would've expected Ironwood to make use of such valuable asset for the Vytal Festival, but then again Ozpin himself was confused about this sudden situation.

That young woman, the one that had the hair color that many members of the Rose family were known for… she wasn't Summer.

I was certain of this by the very fact that the mysterious lady's hair style was… punkier than Summer's. While the white-caped huntress had a soft, mellow style with her curly hair, this individual had a spiky complex that just threw me off completely.

The more I thought about that sight, the more I found myself inclined to bash my head at the lack of lore-related stuff I could connect to this individual.

I knew that Ozma was genuinely stomped at this discovery. The sudden desire to discover the identity of a possible new ally against his 'wife' was more than enough for me to accept it as a truthful reaction.

Sally's own words on the matter over her companion's interest merely confirmed what I had just realized on that very situation.

Still, I had nothing to truly establish even theories. I would need more clues, but that would also mean talking with Ironwood. I really wanted to have Jimmy around so I could get some proper answers about this strange situation, but the General had yet to make an appearance and I was stuck in that hideous limbo of gray, soreness and dreadful loneliness.

I was really desperate to have someone to talk to.

_**We're still here-**_

And no, 'voices' in my head weren't going to cut out considering how one-sided that would get in the real world.

**[He has a point.]**

Humming quietly, and trying to get distracted by staring at some minuscule text on the side of the lamp by the bedside, I soon found my prayers answered in the form of a recently-acquainted individual entering the room.

Misfit-03 looked… incredibly bright. Her armor was reflecting a lot of the light coming from the main illumination source which was the large-sized light panel shining over the bed. The worst bit was the helmet as its visor was reflecting whiteness back onto my face.

My eyes widened through that unpleasant light-show, and with serious reasons. Ironwood had been quite adamant that none of the members of this 'only mission' was supposed to learn about each other identities. I was more than happy to respect that decision considering the can of worms that learning of new characters implied, but it would seem like the promise had busted if the young woman was here and staring at my unmasked self.

"John," She curtly greeted, nodding towards me before walking up to the only chair present near to my bed. She sat down and then sighed. "I see that… your conditions are stable."

"I've a small itch on my upper back, but I've this big cast limiting my chances of comfiness. But could be worse," I muttered with a small smile. "But hello to you too… 03."

The helmeted woman nodded. "I suppose it's quite awkward to be exposed like this. With your identity revealed and-"

"I've dealt with worse," I half-shrugged, interrupting her in that pseudo-apology. "Still, I bet Ironwood offered you a chance to talk to me if you're here."

…

"Right?"

Her visor shifted away from staring at me and I frowned.

"I… I wished to be here on the presumption that we could've a proper discussion. One beyond the line of work we had just entertained this once."

My frown deepened as this little addition hardly offered an answer to my growing confusion.

"What?"

She sighed again, but instead of talking once more with her hyper-formal and elegant words, 03 slowly reached for her helmet and… lifted it off from herself.

I blinked, my entire frame freezing up at the sight of a familiar face… with pretty blue eyes and long white hair.

"John, I… I suppose this is really awkward," Willow Schnee commented quietly.

"It kind of is. But… I guess I should've expected this from the familiar fighting style."

A fascinated glint shone from her eyes. "You know about my… style?"

"Regal, very strict over specific steps, and focused mostly on rapiers and sabers," I said while tilting my head to the side. "Raven."

The lie seemed to gain a nod out of Willow, and I knew that mentioning her past friend's name as the reason behind my knowledge was a sure-win for me. No distrust in this moment of weakness!

"I can see her… remembering me from that," She muttered with a small, but tired smile. "It sounds like she's truly trying to settle down with her family."

"With occasional visits to her… workplace," I bit my lips at the chance of blurting out about her tribe. Not now that the situation was fairly fragile.

...Oh? You wish to know why I was restraining my mindless need to drop truth bombs after truth bombs?

It took me a while since Willow unmasked herself to realize that she was still coping with what was happening with her family. It wasn't like she was shocked by Jacques' betrayal… but she was still facing some troublesome ramifications with what was happening.

Starting from the fact that her children were surely confused, terrified, and probably angry at the fact that their father had been taken away. I could see little Weiss whining about seeing her Papa, while Winter would restrain herself out of the fact that she was slightly aware of the man's unpleasant personality. The only one that was hopefully spared by this separation was possibly little Whitley. Truly ironic.

Still, the weight of the horrible ordeal wasn't just the cheating- but the fact that Jacques had been implied over his commitment with the men responsible for the assassination attempt. Not only a sore loser, but also a traitor to the Kingdom.

That was surely going to damage the SDC, no matter who is the current leader now. Even Nicholas was going to have a hard time stabilizing the situation as of now.

I blinked. "You know, I could call her now."

The woman tensed up at the offer, her eyes narrowing at me with a mix of interest and nervousness.

"Wouldn't that be too… sudden? What if she's busy with something else?"

"I mean, I can see your point but..." I half-shrugged. "Portals. Those are truly fancy things, you know?"

She seemed confused at first, ready to inquire more about it but… then her eyes widened in remembrance.

"Her Semblance." A groan, and I felt highly-amused at seeing the 'Ice Queen' facepalming at her own forgetfulness. "Of course she could open a portal here and…"

I reached to my phone with my undamaged hand, kind of surprised that the device hadn't been taken away from Ironwood for further studies. It wasn't a Scroll, and that should've been enough to interest the General in further studying the little thing.

Then again, I had the odd sensation that Jimmy was a little more trusting on me for multiple reasons. Especially for my polite approach in addressing Atlas' problems without ridiculing too much the current state of things in the kingdom.

The number was still saved in there and I called the woman. The wait was short as the other side quickly responded to the call.

"Bukharin."

Simple, direct, and slightly annoyed. I had now some worries that I might have called in the worst of times.

"Hello, I'm calling in a busy moment or-"

"No, you're disturbing at the best of times actually," Raven interjected with a sigh. "By the way, ravens or crows?"

_**She's having a debate with Qrow.**_

**[I understand that siblings can be quite competitive with one another but… are they really headbutting over their respective forms?]**

_That's the beauty of sibling rivalry. It's dumb, sometimes the resolution is stupidly easy to find, but it's also quite frustrating to deal with when you're one of the siblings._

"I'm not a bird-lover, but I reckon that eagles sounds amazing," I replied with faux-innocence, getting a snort in return.

"Prick. What do you want?"

I sighed. "I was talking with someone that knows you and-"

"I owe nothing to anyone. If they told you otherwise then they're lying."

Now, that was quite the… quick answer to a question I hadn't asked.

"I'm quite sure you don't have any debt with this individual in particular," I muttered calmly, glancing at Willow with a questioning look. She looked at me with a confused frown, which I quickly saw as a lack of knowledge over this matter.

"Oh, then… what's the problem?"

"Well, I wanted to know if you and Summer could pass by. It would be nice if-"

I didn't have time to pause that I saw a portal open right in front of the door and… Raven's head poking through it.

Red eyes glanced around the room, stopping only to see the white-haired woman there. Surprise swelled for both, with Raven taking a couple of steps in as she looked shocked at the unexpected reunion.

"R-Raven-"

"You're Willow," The Branwen bluntly commented. "I remember you when you visited Beacon."

The Schnee's face displayed a small blush at the quick remembrance, and she nodded at the statement.

"That's… correct. And you don't seem to have changed much from..."

"She is still the dense woman that acts first and regrets later."

The bandit leader snorted. "It works."

I frowned and she sighed at my stare.

"Most of the time."

I sighed, shaking my head out from that silly argument and back to the main topic of the situation.

"Is Summer free or-"

"I-It's not necessary," Willow quipped nervously, before looking nervous at her own outburst. "I-I mean, I don't wish to sound imposing or-"

"Call her," I said with a tired tone, nodding at Raven before I turned my attention back at Willow. "And you really need someone trustworthy to talk to. Don't think I can't notice signs of distress."

She almost flinched at the calm chiding, but I guess the reason why my words were being fairly effective was correlated to the topic and the suddenness of the recent developments.

Raven disappeared back through the portal and some moments of silence passed as we waited for her return. Much to my surprise, the Branwen returned with a huff leaving her lips and… a confused Summer stepping through the portal while wearing a cooking apron over her usual clothes.

She blinked in surprise as her silver eyes took a quick look around the room and she noticed two distinct situations unfolding.

"Willow?"

The Schnee matriarch offered an awkward wave of hand, but soon the white-haired woman found herself glomped by a giddy-looking Summer. "It's been so many years. How are you doing? Is everything alright here in Atlas or-"

"It's… it's mostly alright."

Liar. But then again, that unexpected hug had to have fried some brain cells and… I wasn't spared of the Rose Fun Train as the brunette graced me with a quick greeting.

"John, good to see you and-" Summer froze, her eyes going wide in confusion as she noticed that I was in a bed and… I had a cast over my right arm. "Nice… Cast?"

The comment wasn't missed by Raven, and the red-eyed woman moved closer to the right-side of the bed to study the thick construct. "How-"

"I tripped down a staircase or two- Mhm!"

I flinched in pain as she tried to lift the cast up, swiftly letting go at the first note of my distress.

"That sounds a little more than 'a staircase or two'," Summer commented with a hint of curiosity in her tone. "By the way, where's Sienna?"

I tensed up at the avalanche of questions I couldn't answer via simple responses. Raven looked even more confused, and frustrated, but mostly confused.

Just as I tried to deflect the attention elsewhere and away from me, the only door of the room opened again and this time… the situation was just turning more and more intense.

Ironwood was the first one to enter inside, pushing the wheelchair that was being currently used by…

I blinked, and I found myself mesmerized by a pair of worried but oddly calm amber eyes.

There was silence, and I felt the world shattering like glass as two sole elements existed within that moment.

I gulped nervously, having some trouble keeping up with that quiet stare aiming at my own eyes. Seriously, why did she look so fierce despite her weakened state? How did she manage to look quite strong even though she looked to be recovering from the poison?

"Sienna."

Her animal ears twitched at my voice, but her eyes continued to look at me while she kept quiet.

I thought it being just a moment of surprise at the reunion, but then… I saw her offering a confused frown back.

"W-Who are you?"

…

_No._

_**John-**_

_NononononononoNONONONONONO! WHY!? WHY THE FUCK- WHY-_

My brain went blank at the horrid situation hitting me in my core. My thoughts erased in that very moment as I felt squashed by one of the worst sensations I could've imagined.

A hollow victory. I won, but I failed. I succeeded, but it wasn't what I had thought of it for.

My chest tightened, and I felt my face growing pale at the nauseating notion that the one before me, the one person that I had went through hell and back… was now mostly gone.

…

Or so I thought.

Her confusion melted in an awkward look. "I mean, with those bandages, that cast-"

"It's a nice one to that," 04 chirped while leaning to the side, still behind James. "Hello, partner~."

…

I was silent, my eyes still wide open as my brain wasn't just allowing that stupid prank to be real. It was… so stupid. So needless… so fucking infantile.

"I was kidding, John."

My lips twitched, my stare lowering to the sheets as I felt something darker bubble from within my chest.

"A cruel trick at that," Willow commented. "Why did you do that, Ms. Khan?"

The Tiger Faunus flinched at the question. "I was just… General Ironwood told me what he did and… I'm…. I don't know how-"

I sighed, staring at James with an impassive look. I felt a storm by my throat, but I managed to throw out the words I wanted to offer in that dreadful development.

"I… I want to be left alone."

"John-"

"I'm tired. I think I will go back to rest soon," I interrupted the General without hesitation. "I think I've the right to decide whatever I should've visitors or not."

"You can't just-" Sienna paused, her tone dying out as I glanced at her with a terribly calm look.

"I can't?" I inquired back with some irritation. "I don't think you understand that you came so close to die because you had to cover my back."

My words drew a tense and strained undertone to the silence.

"You almost died," I continued with a frail tone. "You were there, unresponsive in your bed, and the more I stared, the more I had to see the results of my own weakness, the more I felt guilty of this all."

"It wasn't-"

"I could have pushed you away. I could've stopped Tyrian when I first saw hints that… that you were coming so close to be hurt," I rebuked without hesitation. "I could've tanked that hit, I could-"

Sienna was shaking in her wheelchair. I was too distracted in my own self-disappointment to see if it was panic or anger. "Stop-"

"I-I can't stop!" I almost yelled, my lungs burning a little at that stress. The world descended in a quieter silence. A paradoxical oddity that just… felt absurd. "I can't just pretend that nothing serious had happened. I can't just stop thinking that you were coming to die and..."

I stopped there, my strength faltering as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Sienna had somehow lifted herself from the chair and… thrown herself onto the bed. The result was that her face slammed determinedly on my chest as she started to rise up to reach my face.

The situation was awkward, and the audience made things incredibly… embarrassing.

Raven seemed to notice, giving a quick nod at me as she stared at Ironwood. "Can we move outside? I don't think we should be there to see this."

The General looked skeptical at first, but soon his reluctance deflated at the sight of the other women moving towards the sole entrance. James sighed, offering us a single nod before leaving the room to just me and Sienna.

The Tiger Faunus was trembling as she climbed up my chest, her hands taking a tight grasp at my medical garb by the shoulders-side.

"Why?" I muttered softly and the tanned woman looked up at me.

I froze for a moment at the sight of the woman now sporting tears trailing down her eyes.

"Stupid," She muttered. "I-It was stupid. I'm- I didn't mean to- I- I'm trying to."

It was a mess of words. Apologies intermixing in that strange conglomerate of a sentence.

"Why?"

She tensed, her chin resting on my chest and close to my own face.

"I- Ironwood said that… that you hurt yourself again. I thought that… that it was my fault. Again,"

…

"Why?"

A sob, then her eyes burned because of the crying.

"I'm sorry."

I stared at her, sticking with that sole word question as I tried to make sense out of that immense confusion before me.

"Why?"

"I'm… I don't want you to hurt yourself for me," Sienna muttered. "You- You're my ward. You're the silly, weak human that should be protected. Not the other way around."

…

"No."

She blinked, staring up at me with confusion.

"I was that. And you were my warden," I agreed quietly. "But now? Do you… do you really think so little about yourself?"

I leaned my forehead into hers. "You're Sienna Khan and… I can't help but worry when you get hurt too," I continued, a sad smile finally appearing on my face. "It wasn't just the failure that scared me. It wasn't actually the failure that truly frightened me into acting."

"Then… what was it?" She sounded quite desperate at that point and… I couldn't fault her for that. I guess it was long overdue.

**[YES!]**

_Shut it._

"What I feared the most… was that I was going to lose one of the most important people in this world," I confessed without hesitation. "The one… I love."

…

"You mean that-"

"Yep," I interrupted her. "You heard me right."

…

"That's… quite ironic," She muttered with a small smile. "Do you want why?"

I frowned. "Why-Mhhf!?"

Before I could finish that sentence, I found my lips stolen in what could be considered a powerful kiss. It wasn't the classic 'firework' kind of smooch. No, it was… uplifting.

I felt any soreness vanish in that moment and I felt only one thing.

Good warmth, the warmth of someone I trusted a lot and that was opening her own heart to me. What a strange thought. One that seemed so freeing and so correct to enjoy.

The kiss lasted for a full minute and I felt my breath taken away as we ended that connection. It was a minor reprieve.

A second, then a third kiss ensued. By the fifth time, I was starting to gain an 'understanding' of what kind of desperation was hidden in her previous question. But I wasn't complaining. Not at all.

In fact, the giddy smile matching hers just made it clear that the kissing was just becoming quite the entertaining thing to do.

"T-This is-"

"Incredibly amusing?" She guessed with a happy tone. I nodded and she rested on my chest as we both recovered from that brief make out session.

**[While this is quite tame compared to how Ozma and I would've spent our evenings, I suppose it's just right that you start from very little.]**

_**Some more context to the words!**_

**[What's wrong with bringing up memories about kisses, dear? Are you perhaps flustered?]**

_**As if kisses ever bothered me that much-**_

**[If you want, I can bring up some old memories of how you would turn after a single kiss. All tense, all shy… so innocent~.]**

_Weren't you the one stuck in a tower in the middle of nowhere?_

**[You shouldn't underestimate the power of books… and experimenting. I really liked to play around with Ozma when we were younger-]**

_**Stop. It.**_

**[Fine~.]**

As we both enjoyed that very moment of rest, I couldn't help but ponder over something I had noticed during the kisses.

"Did you have breakfast already?" I inquired calmly, getting a soft snort from the young woman.

"I might have been offered some cookies," Sienna admitted, licking her lips. "Delicious cookies at that."

I frowned. "I thought the hospital didn't offer that kind of treatment. Who did you bribe~?"

She playfully swatted at my good arm, sighing as she thought back about this circumstance.

"Nobody. And the thing is… I'm still unsure how that girl, Ironwood called her '04' or something like that, managed to bring in so many cookies without a bag with her..."

"Yeah, she was one of the members of the team sent to recover Tyrian," I muttered calmly, getting a little distracted at the strangely fascinating detail. "Quite quirky, I assume she didn't do anything too odd."

"Only some childish statements. Like… she was complaining about Ironwood chiding her for preferring milk over coffee," The Tiger Faunus advanced this curious example. "She brought up the fact that 'milk helped with growth'… which is quite ironic since she's quite short and… you're distracted."

I would've flinched at the deadpanned bit at the end of that retelling, but my mind had completely derailed away from that very explanation and right onto some past occurrences over the mysterious silver-eyed young woman.

"**A High-Velocity Electromagnetic Sniper that literally makes any other sniper pale in comparison! More than twelve shots in the chamber, its explosive rounds are devastating enough to shatter through buildings and-"**

_No!_

"**Don't call me- a brat!"**

_Fucking!_

"**I don't people to grow up- I drink milk!"**

**WAY!**

_It's Ruby. It's Ruby 'Fricking' Rose!_

_**This shouldn't be possible.**_

_Yet it is! Look at the proof. She loves gun, Ironwood trusts her enough to not talk Ozpin 2 about her, and… she is a brat!_

**[But how?]**

_I really don't know. But considering my current situation, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this dimension is wackier than I thought it to be early on._

_**It would be absurd for- for this to even happen. Think about it for a moment: you're asking me to believe to the fact that a Ruby Rose from the future managed to get sent in the past… right in this era. It's impossible for me to-**_

_What about me? Think for a moment what you're trying to deny. I am an anomaly too._

_**But your presence could be seen as something dictated by the Gods. We're still unsure who is the one behind your presence, and the situation which sees me and 'her' stuck in your mind.**_

**['Her' has a name and- I'm not sure who I should support right now. While it sounds the easy answer, I don't think we can be 100% sure that she is indeed Ruby Rose.]**

_**Which means…**_

_I will have to adopt an aggressive approach to determine if she's or not Ruby Ro-OW!_

I felt dragged away from my mindscape as Sienna was… biting at my finger.

"S-Stop it- It's not fun-"

"Good," She remarked with a fiery grin. "I wasn't trying to be funny- especially when you decided to ignore me like that."

Soon, her face leaned back onto mine and she let out a brief giggle. "Still, I think it's time we resume our little session, _dear_~."

_**John, you know better than me that losing time here means losing opportunities to-**_

**[Oh, be quiet! Let him have some reprieve after that maddening mission. Just like I let you enjoy the 'spoil' of rescuing me from the tower.]**

_**S-Stop it!**_

Sally giggled, ready to tease some more while I happily ignored the couple's silly antics for the sake of offering attention to the needy Tiger Faunus purring on my chest.

The vibration, the kissing, the lovin'!

_**What else could be said? The 'distraction' was unexpected but eagerly welcomed!**_

* * *

**AN**

**School Reunion, Love in the air and… Ruby Rose? What the frick is going on?!**

**So much madness, so much glorious chaos!**

**But for those that felt like it had to be Summer, there's actually an element in last chapter that 'openly dismissed' Summer as a candidate. It's a single adjective (quite the dick move from my part to include in that last segment as it literally showed the only possible individual to be Misfit-04).**


	27. The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_It's like a movie, but there's not a happy ending. Every scene fades black and there's no pretending. This little fairytale doesn't seem to end well. There's no knight in shining armor who will wake me from the spell__"_** – Red Like Roses, Part 2**

* * *

**Chapter 27: The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (2)**

* * *

"You know that this just sounds… so stupid. And insane?"

I stared at Sienna with a dry look.

Some nurses had come by to check on us and put us both in wheelchairs. Staying by the hall outside my hospital room, we were waiting for the rest of the group to finally return.

Once we were done cuddling and kissing, the first thing I did was to inform her of my suspicions. Surprise greeted me, and I kind of expected her to be… skeptical over my theory.

The young woman returned my stare with a calm frown.

"You want me to believe that the tall, overly-cheerful young woman that was with Ironwood, the one that seems to have an eidetic memory for guns, and a passion for cookies..." She groaned, her face lowering to her hands as she tried to make sense of my previous affirmations.

"Why?"

I blinked. "Why I think that's possible?"

A single nod from the tanned woman made her intentions clear.

"To be fair, I'm skeptical myself about it- but I have some means to discern if this is just a massive mess of coincidences or not."

"How is it possible that Summer's kid is… her!" She snapped, hand settling by her lap. "I can understand the whole shenanigans about you being from out of Remnant- and that you know things… but can we agree that what you said was pretty stupid?"

**[To be fair-]**

_No. We all know that has to be Ruby._

_**I agree with you, John. But maybe, just maybe, this could also be… another individual. Could it be someone from your dimension that ended up in your same situation.**_

_Let me put it in a simple statement, I'm completely sure that the shade of brown-red of her hair and silver eyes match up is just plainly impossible. For it to be someone from my world like that to end up here? Even more absurd._

_**Are you sure?**_

_Yes. And… I know that has to be Ruby!_

I sighed. "It's- I feel really sure about it," I pointed out. "It's not that I'm throwing comments like this without any basis- I've seen plenty of proof to know that it's the only viable possibility."

"I will bite- what gave that off?" Sienna inquired calmly. "At this point, I feel rather clueless over how you got that theory in your mind."

"She is a sniper, her fondness of cookies, she loves killing Grimm and… she used her Silver Eyes."

The Tiger Faunus tensed up at this, her face leaving her protective facepalm. "What? Why would she need to use that if you just needed to captur Tyrian?"

It was at these words that I understood that Sienna hadn't been told the full story. I blinked, tensing up myself at her eyes narrowing at me.

"What did Ironwood 'failed' to tell me?"

I hummed, thinking whenever telling her the truth or not.

…

Sighing, I glanced back at her with a serious look. Surprise appeared on her face at that reaction, but I quickly spoke before she had the chance of inquiring once again.

"Salem was there too."

…

"You mean that-"

"Pasty-white skin, dark sclera, and a hair comb that would make many people go insane at understanding the logic behind it."

_By the way, why did she pick that style when-_

**[I don't know.]**

_**I thought that was a stylish choice.**_

**[While I'm not much into fashion, I do prefer to keep things simple. I really don't know why she decided on that monstrosity of a comb.]**

"The Queen of Grimm was-"

"There to try to rescue her minions and recruit me in her jolly little trip for world's destruction," I interceded, concluding that sentence for her. She didn't look happy for that helpful act.

"And I suppose you answered her no."

I nodded, a cheeky smile sprouting at that fun memory.

"Classic manner. I thought she understood at first but..." I paused for a moment, still thinking back at the fact that Salem can actually regenerate from that kind of injuries.

I wonder if I can literally destroy her body, vaporizing it, and kill her like that. Or maybe there's some backup I was unaware about the reincarnation/regeneration spell both her and Ozpin were subjected to.

"But she kind of knew how to dodge pellets and send them back to the sender the second time around."

Sienna highlighted the aftermath by poking at the cast and, while the thing was pretty thick and far from getting her to touch the damaged skin, the pressure exerted was enough to get a flinch out of me.

"Next time you should switch tactics. If the first time didn't work, then you should use something else instead of quick shooting," The Tiger Faunus reminded, her lips twitching in minor amusement at my small pout. "When we get back home… I will have to teach you."

I glanced at her, keeping quiet.

"_Thoroughly._"

Shivering at that, I still managed a smile at that teasing remark.

**[This brings so many fond memories about when you wanted to be taught more about magic, dear.]**

_**I don't think it's necessary-**_

**[Oh, but you were so eager to know! And I remember the kind of rewards I used to give you when you succeeded~.]**

_I think I should leave you two alone-_

**[Why so? Don't you want to know how to spice up things with your lover-]**

_And I'm out of here._

Just as I silenced my connection with the two, I noticed that the group was finally making their way back and… Summer was rushing towards me. With her silver eyes narrowed at me in what I oculd only describe as the glare a mother would offer to her naughty children, I felt some flashback from my childhood rewind in my brain.

_I-I swear, momma, I didn't mean to break the cookie jar!_

"John Bukharin, you put yourself in danger- _and you fought Salem_."

"Be quiet about-"

"And don't try to shush me!" The brunette exclaimed fiercely. "What you did was outright stupid, dangerous, and incredibly suicidal."

Flinching a little, I kind of cowered as I found her face quite close to me. And it wasn't the 'romantic' kind of closeness, but the one 'I am about to punch you in the face, twice' closeness.

Fuck.

"To be fair, I didn't thought that-"

"I still remind you that you were the one chiding me for being incredibly reckless," The Rose continued mercilessly. "You said that I was being so stupid to put myself in danger now that I've a family and… what do you have to say for yourself?"

…

"I'm sorry?"

"Damn right you are," Summer said while nodding. "And that is just the tip of the iceberg. I know that you got hurt even more before that. I'm so- so-"

"Worried?" I guessed, staring at her fuming self for a while.

She actually tensed up at that suggestion, before sighing and sporting an awkward look.

"It's just… you remind me so much of how Qrow once behaved. And Raven… and Taiyang," The woman groaned the more she thought about it. "Oh Gods, is it going to be an occurrence just like how it was with my team?"

"I feel hurt you compared me to Qrow-"

"You're terribly unlucky. And my brother can blame his Semblance on it," Raven quipped curtly. "Still, good to see that an encounter with _her _didn't kill you."

"I'm made of sturdy material."

The bandit leader scoffed, coming closer and… poking at my chest. I blinked, surprised by the forwardness… and embarrassed by the sudden blunt approach.

"Can you not, Ms. Branwen?" Sienna calmly asked, getting the woman to actually stop.

"Have you never heard of 'sharing is caring'."

I snorted, and I found myself matched with a snort from Summer.

Raven took notice, a confused look on her face. Then she realized what she had just said and the irony of such a rebuttal.

"Very funny," She muttered with some irritation.

I took a moment to glance at Willow, and the woman nodded back at me.

"I hope things are a little better now."

"You can say that," The Schnee matriarch admitted. "Summer, Raven and I decided to set up some… tentative play dates. I'm still unsure if Weiss and Winter would like to-"

"I think they will love Yang and Ruby," Summer interrupted with a bright smile. "And imagine little Whitley and Ruby play together."

The brunette almost squealed, while Willow merely smiled at the possible future scene.

**[I really want to see that.]**

_**Sadly, we've other things to look at.**_

And in fact, my attention was quickly taken by a sudden tense posture from 04. The young woman looked rather unnerved by the mere mentioning of her _younger self _being parried with littlest of the Schnees.

_I wonder if she is genuinely from the original timeline._

_**Either that or worse. Something has to have forced her in this time travel.**_

"-And I hope you and Ms. Khan managed to sort out the… tangled situation."

I blinked at Willow continuing with the discussion, my attention slightly lacking, but I was saved by a certain Tiger Faunus that was now smiling smugly.

"You can say that," The Tiger Faunus replied for me. I smiled happily at her and, instead of wasting further time on the matter, I turned my sight right onto… Ironwood.

"General, if it's not asking too much, can I ask a relatively small favor?" I asked quietly, drawing the eyes of the Atlesian officer right on me.

"Depends on how 'relatively small' we're talking about?"

"I need to speak with Misfit-04 in private," I replied back with a sigh, getting an 'oh' from the aforementioned girl. "It's quite urgent matters and-"

"I'm right there. Didn't you see that, Mr. Bukharin?" The masked woman commented with a huff. "You could've asked me."

_**That sounds strikingly like Ms. Rose…**_

"And you would've mentioned some 'classified' motivations to get out of that instance," I pointed out dryly. "I'm not born yesterday, brat. Remember that."

She snarled. "I'm- I'm not a brat!"

"Aren't you? I guess one could get that impression when you have a passion for cookies and milk," I commented back with a smirk. "And one would never be wrong in saying this, especially since I know who you're, crater face."

**[Oh, you're starting pretty heavy already. Are you sure it will work?]**

_I know Ruby. Or better, I know her main mindset is and I know that it's not something prone to change… for anything._

The woman almost jumped at the aggravation, but then paused in shock as she realized what did I just say.

"That's… that's a rude thing to say to someone you clearly don't know," She said that, but instead of offering a blank tone, she offered a weak one.

_**And now you've got me sold over your theory. It's Ruby Rose.**_

**[You sure know your students, Ozma.]**

_You can say that Ruby is just… unforgettable._

"I mean, technically you didn't deserve that one. One would say that it was more of your partner's fault at the time by waving around vials of fire dust and letting some get you to sneeze- Kaboom!"

I almost chuckled at the comical reaction I was getting from the masked girl, but I restrained myself on the simple fact that the others were giving me odd looks.

"You… you-"

"Come on, I'm not asking too much, am I?" I asked with faux annoyance. "I swear, you can be such a dolt when you want to."

_**I can't help, but imagine Ms. Schnee nodding approvingly at your acting. But I don't thing she would be that much happy that you're stealing her mannerism for the occasion.**_

_We've something of an old saying where I come from: 'Eye doesn't see, heart doesn't bleed'._

That was the final straw, and the girl was now waving around in shock.

Yes, this was the quintessential Ruby Rose.

_Ladies and Gentlemen, we got her._

"HOW?!"

I smiled happily at that childish exclamation. I was so going to have fun with that development.

"It's complicated. But I guess you can offer me a hand as we check the cafeteria. I've heard that there are plenty of good cookies there."

She huffed, but nodded. "Fine, but… you tell me everything."

"Only if the same is applied to you," I muttered back with a frown, then I turned to look at Summer. "While it might sound abrupt, I really need to have this talk."

"You make it… sound as if it's something I should be worried about," The woman pointed out with a confused look and I shrugged.

"Just covering myself a little bit from any resurfacing from your 'concerned mom' moment."

"I-It wasn't that bad," She looked around at the other mothers for help. Raven was pretty much staring away, while Willow was the only one offering attention… but she was shaking her head at her.

I hummed happily at the amusing scene, but I knew that the situation was far from over as I now had to deal with a certain temporally-displaced Rose.

_**And I really don't know how I'm supposed to deal with it without laughing thorough the interaction.**_

* * *

"You're not from Remnant," Ruby muttered surprised. "And you know about… my team?"

**[I suppose you're just running away from slow approaches.]**

_It's just… so exciting. Little Rubes is in front of me! Gah, I wonder how much she has grown since-_

_**It's quite creepy what you're doing right now. Please stop.**_

We had decided to pick a small reserved section of the hospital's cafeteria. Some doctors and nurses still passed around to get something to eat or drink, but none actually came close to our current table.

We both picked cookies to eat, but the girl decided for plain milk while I took some chocolate milk to enchant my delicious snacks.

She was almost confused, saying that she would've expected me to go for some coffee.

I replied with a flat answer. "I don't wish to become an eldritch creature."

It was even more confusing to think about it, but perhaps I wasn't just going to turn in someone beyond the human comprehension.

_**What are you even talking about?**_

**[Shh, Shade might be listening!]**

"Kind of. You know the TV shows about young heroes fighting for justice and heroic reasons in some strange and dangerous world?" I suggested while munching at my third cookie. "You were the main characters in there, you and your team. It wasn't like a full show that displayed everything you did with them, but I know the main events that transpired for a couple of years."

"Which main events?"

_**You might need to be a little more specific.**_

"I know about Vytal, I know you went to Mistral to get the Relic of Knowledge and… I think you went to Atlas?"

"You think? You mean you don't know?" She pressed on with some irritation, and I huffed in response.

"I'm not in command of what appears in the shiny box, little Red," I remarked tightly. "Still, I don't see why you're keeping that helmet."

"It sounds like a bunch of lies- and I don't see why I should reveal my pretty face," She crossed her arms close to her chest as she proclaimed this.

I merely smiled at her with a smug look. "Perhaps I've to remind you that I know a lot about embarrassing bits?"

"And who are you going to tell those to?" She rebuked smugly and I shrugged.

"Oh you know… I think I can talk it to Sienna. She knows who you are after all-"

"Wait, what?!"

"I'm telling her everything whenever I got the chance," I explained calmly. "Trust is the basis of a healthy relationship."

**[Never heard truer words.]**

_**I reckon you said that 'blondes are actually smart' was the truest words.**_

**[I can have no limits about truest words!]**

"But- but what if she's…"

"Evil?" I guessed with a sigh. "She's not. I mean, she was pretty anti-human when I met her but… you can say that we care fondly about each other."

"You were smooching each other before we left," The girl agreed and just as I opened my mouth to comment on that, I noticed what she had just said.

"I recall the smooching happening way after you had left," I brought up with a skeptical tone. "Were you spying on us?"

"Do you call it spying if I was just checking by the doorstep?"

"Yes. And that's creepy," I pointed out with a frown. "And you can't be creepy, Ruby. You can't be anything else but cute."

She tilted her head to the side, sporting an immense amount of confusion on her tense shoulders.

"Whaaat?"

"Is there even an instance where you can't bring your adorableness out of any scenario?" I asked back with a small smile.

"When people die?"

"You know, you're social dummy like you were at Beacon," I answered with a huff. Still, bringing up her 'childhood' was enough to get a tired sigh out of her.

"I guess habits are difficult to kill and… I'm not cute."

"I bet you still are- heck, you can't be older than me."

_**Maybe she is.**_

_She can't be! I refuse to imagine a Ruby older than me. By natural's rule, she is either the cute little sister of the same-age gun dork everyone needs to love!_

**[She is quite cute during her days at the school.]**

"I'm twenty."

While I merely smiled brightly at that comment, I almost exploded in glee at that confirmation.

"I'm older."

"You seem oddly satisfied by that," She remarked warily. "Why?"

"It's all about rules of space-time continuum," I explained with a false reason. "But you may know that I'm just happy about it."

…

"Okay?"

I nodded. "Let's move on the next topic- can you remove your helmet?"

"You're making me regret accepting this whole private talking," The Rose admitted dryly. "Like really, why are you being this cheerful about things?"

"What… do you mean?"

"You changed things," The girl muttered irritated. "You changed so many things that now I can't do much without getting myself in danger."

"You mean with-"

"Everything!"

…

"Do you know why I got here? Why am I in the past?"

I could thrown in plenty of suggestions. I could go blindly and hope that my capacity in elaborating hypothetical reasons could work in this case too.

But I was unsure about why she seemed so much tense. So much… frustrated.

"No," I replied truthfully and she nodded, her hands reaching for her helmet and… she finally revealed the cruel fate.

Ruby's face was mostly unscathed, yet her right eye was covered by what looked to be a hefty eye patch.

"I messed things up. Badly," She hummed quietly. "And I got everyone killed because of 'this'."

She pointed at her patch and… I blinked in shock what this was actually referring to.

_**We actually lost?**_

**[Doesn't seem… to be the case. Something else is afoot about her.]**

But that was the kind of message this was actually giving. There was no reason to not believe that they had failed to kill Salem. Not something completely absurd since the Queen was a dangerous individual that couldn't be killed by natural means.

I had tried it and… the results had been less than pleasant.

"Ruby-"

"I got them killed," She commented quietly. "I made a single mistake. Just one, and I fucked everything up."

…

"You… are not at fault," I tried to reason, only to be met with a shrug.

"I was a moron. I still am right now, but at least I learned to not trust anyone that just comes in with the sweetest of words," Ruby sternly confessed. "So who are you John Bukharin, and what do you gain from killing Salem?"

Gritty reality Ruby was starting to get in my nerves with how pushy she was getting. While I was trying to sympathize to her plight, here she was throwing mud back at me for trying to be kind.

_**It's difficult to trust someone after many betrayals. You shouldn't… be this hard on her. **_

**[You just told her that her adventures were a kids' show. I think you can see clearly how her darker reality wasn't the same as you imagine.]**

This is indeed a case of AU that I really was unsure how to tackle. Still, I wasn't letting the girl get a free shot at me. Not while I'm this frail and crippled.

"World peace, relative calm?" I started to throw reasons left and right. "Maybe I want to kill her because I want?"

_**That sounds rather crude.**_

**[But not wrong. John doesn't actually have a fixed reason to go after Salem. He's… just doing it because she is a threat.]**

"That sounds vague."

"Just like it sounds vague the motivation you didn't give me about you traveling back in time," I rebuked swiftly. "And don't think I will just let go the fact you're shifting blame of me for making things better."

"You changed things too much," She half-hissed and I frowned.

"I saved lives. Something you wouldn't have done out of fear-"

"I-It's not this. She- Salem knows how to play the situations at her advantage," The girl pointed out. "In fact you were almost killed when we were sent to capture her minions and-"

"Why didn't you leave me to die if I'm the problem?" I inquired. "Why not just let her get rid of your main issue?"

"It doesn't work- I'm not going to let anyone die-" She shook a little bit, a mix of anger and annoyance playing in her reaction. "I just… I just want-"

…

…

There was silence, and I didn't press her for a little while. I munched at my sixth cookie, and I sighed when I looked around, distractedly keeping myself from falling in the boredom.

"How did you lost that eye?"

The girl blinked in minor surprise at my sudden question, but I wasn't looking at her.

The real issue right now was that we both were talking of incredibly heavy topics… without having never established much of a genuine connection. There wasn't much friendliness from her part, and what was palpable was just Ruby being… Ruby. Kind of.

Still, the young woman stared at the table and… answered my query.

"It was Neo. She wanted to take a final shot before we killed her and… she managed to slice at it."

Spiteful little thing. I could imagine that ice cream addict making one hell of a last stand before certain defeat. Truly a loyal minion, but one that didn't have a genuine voice to her warped sense of reality.

"How did you… travel back so far?" I had to know now. Maybe this was connected to my same situation and-

"It was an old portal we found while searching in Vacuo. It was one of the last things from the first generation mankind," She replied numbly. "I managed to destroy it once I had gone through. It can't be used again."

_**Which means that this isn't the way we all got stuck together.**_

I wanted to groan in annoyance at the fact that there wasn't much of a connection between her arrival and mine.

Then why am I here? Why I feel like this isn't just a coincidental circumstance?

"Do you need both eyes to kill Salem?" Another question, this time I was picking up the pace a little bit.

No need to rush but… I really needed to get her to relax. I didn't want to bore her with disconnected inquiries.

"Yes," Ruby admitted softly. "Maria told me that the most powerful silver-eyed warriors are those capable of using both eyes. And Salem can be killed only by the strongest."

"It wasn't your fault-"

"I hesitated and I got punished for it- no, everyone got punished for my single mistake."

"It's not your fault."

…

"Can you… not say that?" She asked with a terribly quiet tone. "It's my fault and I can accept my burden about it-"

"It's not your. And you shouldn't beat yourself about it," I interjected sternly. "You're far from flawless."

"I'm not like Weiss, Yang or Blake."

"I would be impressed if you managed to be the perfect copy of any of them," I agreed with a nod. "Minus Yang. I think the world had plenty of raging blondes that would berserk around when their hair got touched."

The girl stifled a small giggle at that. "She was incredibly… attached to her hair."

"Attached sounds 'incredibly' reductive," I pointed out with a smile. "Do you know how I met Raven?"

The girl frowned, shaking her head and… I could see her eyes lit in visible curiosity.

And so I started to tell her about my little truck adventure that ended prematurely because of a flying masked bird crashing on my window.

I think Ruby got a proper fat laugh when I told her the words I had used when I 'rebuked' Raven's efforts to get her sword to know better my arm.

"You- Snrkt- You called her- You called her a t- a thot?"

**[I've the memory saved up in case of emergencies.]**

_**You can save memories? And why did you save that one specifically?**_

**[Because that's a memory worth to remember forever.]**

_I agree with Sally. That shit is still gold in my eyes._

"Damn right I did. And she thought that meant me and her were destined to marriage by some bandit rule that wasn't an actual rule at all," I sighed at this part and turned at her. "Do you have any crazy pseudo-romantic story you can bring up to the table?"

She hummed, seemingly reverting to her child-like happy self. "I guess there's this… time I was training with Oscar and… he was trying to flirt with me."

I leaned a little bit, this introduction to the story already gaining my full interest as I gestured her to continue.

"He was careful to not sound too pushy or clear with his intentions but… I had to politely ignore all of that session. And he somehow took it as a reason to get bolder with the flirting."

"Who kicked his ass?" I decided to ask, having a strong feeling about where this tale was ending up into.

"Nobody. I think… he got a little frightened when I glared at him while I was busy with… wait, do you know who is my… you know."

I felt tense at that, and I narrowed my eyes at that allusion.

_Is she seriously trying to get me to know who her boyfriend or girlfriend were?_

_**Ms. Rose seemed rather close to Ms. Schnee, but I wouldn't deny that she seemed to be in amiable relations with Mr. Arc.**_

**[Now, isn't that a complicated mess to leave without getting bitten too hard?]**

"I actually don't know," I confessed slowly. "Why, are you going to tell me who-"

"Nope~," Ruby smugly interceded. "I think it's best you don't know about… that."

"You're kidding right."

I didn't receive an answer to that, only a bright smile from her as she intensified her cookie-munching. We were almost done with our plates, and I was feeling rather filled thanks to the delicious snacks.

I sipped at my mug, letting the chocolate milk in and repelling any dark thoughts over the moment.

Today I lost an important opportunity to learn which of the pairing was true for Ruby. But not everything was lost as I retreated to my Plan B.

Smug shall be met with Smugger Smugness.

"I will lie to myself that it was Crescent Rose all along," I muttered mirthfully. "I think she got the most spotlight with you around after all."

_**To be fair, she was caught multiple times showering with her weapon. I guess she took the advice 'a good hunter always keep their gun around' a little too literally.**_

**[There is nothing wrong in loving something that generally caused doom and destruction around those. In fact, I can say that I'm experienced about this kind of circumstances.]**

_**Ah ah, very funny. I wonder how John will react when I tell him where your mole actually is-**_

**[Don't you dare scare the kid!]**

I decided to ignore the madness unfolding within my head and keep my attention onto the insanity unraveling before my eyes.

Her jaws dropped at that comment, with her silver eyes going wide at what had just happened.

"I- I like guns, just- just not that way."

"You were groping that poor sniper-"

"Don't- Don't talk back about Singular Rose!" She fiercely interrupted and I almost facepalmed at that.

"You gave that gun a name? Are you already replacing your former lover or is there some polyamorous situation I'm not aware about?"

She huffed. "It's not like that and you know it!"

I shrugged, my smile widening the more her face steamed at the accusations.

Truly a sweet development.

A bizarre one considering that now I had to deal with this time-traveling one-eyed Ruby Rose.

_**From dimensional hopping to time-traveling. What's next? A visit from the Grimmverse?**_

* * *

**AN**

**Be careful of what you wish for~.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**SleepingDOTmoon356****: I can't add too many details without entering in the Expliric Rating. And this story is also in SV, so I'm not risking the wrath of the mods for being descriptive.**

**Blaze1992****: I think Blake might be getting some new books soon. Kali looked fairly richer than usual that very day.**

**Victorsan12345****: That's because this Ruby isn't from last season. This one is much older and had the chance to fix things up with Ironwood… but it wasn't enough.**

**Bartholomew Black****: I dig Fizzy Fuzzy. **

**Guest Q****: It all depends if I can pull a masterful Harem route or else I'm sticking with Sienna route.**

**Thomas Knightsthade****: I aim to induce surprise or sickness. Pick your poiso-**_**Pill. I meant pills!**_


	28. The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (3)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_You've got to put the past behind you, before you can move on.__"_** – Forrest Gump**

* * *

**Chapter 28: The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (3)**

* * *

The next morning saw us making the final walk around Atlas as we prepared for what was going to be a safe return back to Menagerie.

The visit had come to its conclusion now that the official purpose of this trip had been deal with. The council had finally delivered a proper judgment in regard of Jacques Schnee's scandal, and had seen it fit to create a second, co-dependent trial to see for the infidelity charges the former businessman was now facing.

It was surprising how some greater understanding of economics could put the 'ambitious' man in such a dreadful position. Maybe it was more the way he tried to handle things, when he tried and failed more than once to get me in trouble by harming his family.

Karma was still a thing here in Remnant, and Murphy was happily cackling somewhere as grand evil was answered with a grand punishment.

We weren't staying around to hear the full judgment as we knew that such a trial would take months to end. While Jacques didn't have the Schnee's money to pay for his lawyers, I was surprised to hear that he still had a bank account filled with his past allowance as heir of the Gelé Family.

A gruesome path waited Willow and Nicholas, but I was quite certain that both were going to successfully score a final victory over the man. The SDC will surely suffer some scrutiny from the Council's own inspectors to verify the workers' conditions in the company's factories.

Jacques will be in hell for a long time even though he wasn't in proper prison just yet, with the reporters grilling the heck out of his tattered reputation.

Still, what was mostly important was that nobody had died during this trip.

Except Hazel. But I was partly glad he was gone, as I knew that the queen was now out of pawns to use for a long time.

_**And she will be careful to pick those few people that don't trust you.**_

_I- wait what?_

**[What Ozma is trying to say is… that while you think that only Menagerie had seen a raise in reputation before the other Kingdoms, you're also going to become a symbol. An individual that stands behind a better idea of understanding.]**

_So I'm… becoming Adam, but gooder?_

_**Adam Taurus led his men through pain and suffering. While his heinous deeds became apparent only after Ms. Belladonna left the White Fang, there was a degree of control to not let his bloodlust known. Meanwhile, you're someone that doesn't need to hold back anything. People look at you, and see a change through reforms.**_

**[And it will keep growing from now on. People will seek you to find answers about laws now that you've braved such a complicated situation and left it with a massive victory on your side.]**

_I mean, I can see why it's a good thing that people noticed me like this but… wouldn't that mean that I'm going to get harassed by some stalkers?_

_**You survived Ms. Branwen, and you have a professional guard as your lover. I don't think that will turn in some legitimate trouble-**_

**[What if it's the other Ozma that decides to check on him? I can see the point you're raising, dear, but John is also correct in being concerned by this eventuality.]**

_**I can see that turning… problematic. You should perhaps check with the chieftain for that possibility.**_

Ignoring the little digression, I still had plenty of things to think about as we arrived at the airport.

Like how was I supposed to explain how I got this large cast around my arm when I was supposed to be safe and sound during the entire visit.

I was glad that Sienna had decided against contacting back home to reveal this but… I really hope that the classic 'I tripped down a flight of stairs' will work even for this occasion.

"You know, I _really_ don't miss the wheelchair," I muttered dryly as Sienna walked beside me. "I mean, sure- it's fun to be carried around without having to do much other than saying where to go… but-"

"It's a restricting experience," The Tiger Faunus hummed as she carefully looked around, sighing as she noticed the large amount of reported occupying both sides of the path. "I've had the pleasure of trying it by myself years ago."

"Sounds like a big story," I hummed back with some interest. "Would you mind if I asked for more when we're in the airship?"

"Not at all. After all… this is going to be a boring trip," The tanned woman pointed out. "With Atlas having agreed to escort us, I don't see anyone this much stupid to jump at the occasion."

"Yeah… but I really don't like to jinx it. You know how I am with luck."

"Raven reminded me that her brother was quite unlucky," She commented calmly. "Do you think that if we put you both in the same room we would get pure good luck?"

I snorted. "Maybe a higher degree of bad luck. I think that's not anything anyone would want."

She offered an agreeing nod, but soon we found ourselves stopping before an unexpected obstacle.

Nicholas Schnee was smiling happily, beside him his oldest grandchild as both were waiting for our approach.

"John, Sienna, I'm glad that you're both here and..." The old man paused for just a moment to notice my cast. "I guess that you had some issues, John."

"Minor encounter with a flight of stairs," I replied curtly. "Once again, the stairs won against me."

His confused look faltered in an amused one at my joke, while Winter seemed more surprised at the medical cloth than else.

I decided to address her before we ended up 'forgetting' about her.

"And hello to you too, Winter," I said, with the girl's eyes swiftly looking up to my face.

"M-Mr. Bukharin," She replied, bowing her head a little bit and showing a brief sad look before turning it in an uneasy one. "I'm… sorry for what father tried to do to you."

_What?_

**[Nooo, sweetie! You shouldn't apologize for that moron's faults…]**

_Why would she want to do that? Sure, I know Winter was rigorous back when she visited for Vytal and that she covered for her sister a lot after the tournament… but why now and about him?_

_**Ms. Schnee was someone that I've known for little during my tenure as Beacon's Headmaster, but I can say for certain that if there was a problem caused by her family, she would've taken the blame to herself. I suppose this is something that is part of her true self if it exists even now.**_

I had a little grimace the moment I heard these words and I sighed.

"You don't have nothing to apologize for your father's actions, Winter," I replied softly, but she wasn't having any of that.

"Weiss thinks that you're the reason why father is now not at home," The girl explained. "But even when I told her that it wasn't true she still think that you're at fault."

_Gah, that's so bad._

_**Young Ms. Schnee is still young. She will understand the truth when she gets older-**_

_The issue is that I now have to deal with the fact that if I ever decided to visit back, I would end up dealing with an angry, pouty Weiss in her cutest form! Do you know how much of a moral loss that is?_

**[A tragic one. It will take time, wisdom and hopes to fix this.]**

_**For a small moment, I thought you two were being serious for once.**_

"That's… quite saddening," I replied with a nod. "But still, I don't blame your sister for thinking so."

Surprise filled her blue eyes. "And she said that I was lying to her. And… that was the first time she didn't believe me."

Oh no, I knew very well what was happening.

"She was just fussy, Winter. People say or do silly thing when they are driven to act by emotions," I pointed out with a small smile. "And handling fussy siblings can be quite tedious when this is the first time you both disagreed. Which is why I would suggest you leave the job to calm her down to your mother."

Winter looked confused at this advice. "But- But why? I'm her older sister-"

"And that is a title that doesn't translate in absolute trust. Especially when your sister is just angry and needs a scapegoat to vent on," I interjected quickly. "For now, let your mother calm her down."

"But I want to help."

I gave a slight shake of head and… I was reminded of when my sister and I-

…

_**You had a sibling?**_

_I have one._

**[I'm sure she's fine, John.]**

_I really hope so…_

"And I didn't tell you that you shouldn't," I rebuked with a wider smile. "It's just that sometimes we need to leave this kind of work to people that are more experienced with that."

"But she would still hate you," Winter reminded and I nodded.

"She would. But at least she would hate just me and not her sister for not immediately siding with her," I responded, getting a perplexed glance out of her.

"What? Why would she hate me?"

"People do silly things when they're angry. I think I've told you that already," I replied calmly. "If you headbutt with her about it, you will only get her angrier and aiming her entire fury at yourself."

A blink, then two… she looked particularly upset about the circumstances.

"But it's not fair to you."

I nodded, feeling my heart warming up at her unhappy reaction over this specific detail.

**[Maybe she just finds you a trustworthy person. I can see you becoming a better father candidate than her own.]**

_Which is quite difficult to digest. It's quite a big leap she's making with this._

_**But one that will repay her well considering who she is putting her trust into.**_

"I guess that can be a problem too… which is why I'm asking you to be patient about it," I continued with a sigh. "I can handle a little bit of hate thrown my way. And I know that your mother will do well with your sister."

I crouched on one knee and nodded.

"Understand that I'm glad that you feel this way," I praised happily. "It just confirms to me that you're a good sister and that Weiss will have someone brave and goodhearted to led her away from any mistakes she could come close to make."

Her eyes widened at the compliments, ultimately bringing a tiny smile on her face.

"So please, do let this one slide. And do learn how your sister thinks from this situation," I suggested. "Try do to this and… your duties as a big sister will be easier from this point onward. It will still be a responsibility, and as such you will still have to put effort in your decisions, but I know you will manage."

As I finished saying this, Winter took a couple of steps forward and proceeded to wrap her small arms around my neck. I blinked in surprise at the unexpected action, but I was shocked enough to not react at all.

I slowly had my unharmed had reach for her upper back and gave her two soft pats. Since I had one arm unable to work properly, my attempt to close the embrace was limited. But it was enough from the way she sighed and muttered four words.

"I will miss you."

I closed my eyes, smiling even more at the reluctance in her tone and I sighed.

"I will miss you too, sweetie."

Before I had the chance of properly end this hug, I realized that a large group of people around us was letting out a collective 'awww' at the scene.

_I completely forgot about the paparazzi._

_**If only that was the only thing you usually forget.**_

_Quiet you!_

Giving another soft pat by her shoulders, I interrupted the hug to glance at left and then right.

"I wish to make a statement. One that I wish for every journalist here to understand clearly and without creating any issues with the newspapers here in Atlas," I said loudly and clearly. "I wish for the journalists here present to be wary that young Ms. Schnee's situation is fragile considering the circumstances with her family. I know that the key factor of journalism is to seek the truth within predicaments that might shape or change society. But I also remind all those present here that children shouldn't be subjected to any unneeded pressure. That they shouldn't be subjected to any unpleasant development about the case."

I took a pause, glancing around as I realized that the photographers had stopped taking pictures and some of the anchormen here had gone silent to listen to what I was saying.

"Which is why I wish to make it clear that I can promise you all here that if this simple understanding is shredded over amoral journalism, then I will find myself forced to not only condemn this offense, but to also denounce said offense by the laws set by the kingdoms over this specific kind of situation."

Silence followed my words, but I knew that it was more of a tacit agreement from the understanding glances I was getting and the lessening of the reporters' insistence for an interview.

Winter looked surprised, but she felt elated once she realized what I had just said. Her grandfather had a mirthful look, but I could also see some fascination over how I had handled the press in this instance.

After exchanging farewells, Sienna and I proceeded to enter inside the airship with happy but slightly drained expressions. Dealing with the press was never an easy task, but now I had plenty of time to waste either talking with the Tiger Faunus over her interesting stories from her past.

But just as I took a seat beside her and prepared for the airship to lift off, I noticed a perplexed look on the woman's face.

"Something's troubling you?"

She sighed. "Just… noticed something about your interaction with Winter," Sienna replied, smiling a little bit. "You know how to handle kids."

"It's… something that I took from my mother," I explained with a hint of nervousness. "Really loving and caring. Her attitude in handling children just stuck on me."

She gave a distracted nod, seemingly lost in her own thoughts for a little while… before she managed to build up enough courage to finally ask what was getting her this much uneasy.

"John, I know that it might sound sudden, but I feel the need of asking."

I blinked at that, giving her a slow nod as I tried to make sense of what she wanted to inquire about.

"_**Did you have a sibling before leaving your home?"**_

* * *

**~Ruby's POV~**

Today was indeed a good day.

That was the principal thought that drove the young woman around the kitchens within Atlas Academy. The place was massive compared to what Beacon had for kitchens, and the space available for her little operation was enough in her opinion.

Having stolen a small section of the room to start with her plans, Ruby was immersed in her stealth tasks to notice that a certain General had decided to visit and see why she had been spotted blitzing left and right in the few unoccupied aisles of the kitchen.

Ironwood was quiet. Merely observing the scene unfolding as he tried to unravel what the mysterious time traveler that had decided to put her faith in him and his means of acting around Remnant was trying to do at this time of the day in here.

Humming quietly, the one-eyed Rose eagerly crouched down to check on the small baked goods that she had just finished preparing and placing inside the oven.

This was the first time she was making cookies.

Or rather, this was the first time she _tried _making cookies.

Either because Yang took care of cooking, or because Ren wanted to give them plenty of healthy food, or when they ultimately ended up eating what they could find on the run, there was never a chance for Ruby to actually try her hand at cooking.

And the experience that she was giving at try to now was… actually exciting despite how precise and slow the overall process was.

Patience had long turned into her best friend (a little before Crescent Rose, and just a bit after capes), and so handling the various tasks required for some cookie-making ended up being easier than she had expected those to be.

Setting up a timer within the advanced oven, she happily waited for the cookies to be properly cooked. It was at that point that she looked around and stopped at the curious stare Ironwood was giving her.

Instead of tensing up in utmost dread at getting caught in the deed, Ruby decided to exploit this opportunity to gain a proper… tester.

"Ms. Rose, may I ask what you're doing here in the kitchens at this hour of the day?"

She merely smiled, gesturing him to come closer and… he complied. Maybe it was the curiosity, or maybe it was the fact that he trusted her well enough to allow this little silliness.

"I've been thinking it's about time we talk about the recent events," The brunette lied giddily as she addressed the matter. "And I thought that making it seem like I was cooking while we chatted would throw off any listeners right now."

He frowned with some surprise at the explanation, but he looked a little bit hesitant to genuinely trust her about the matter.

"What about?"

"John Bukharin," Ruby answered readily, knowing that she had yet to discuss about the man to the General. "I trust him."

The Atlesian officer looked surprised at the curt judgment. "Is that so? I recall you having some reservations from offering a proper comment about the individual."

She nodded. "That was before I had the chance of talking with him."

…

"And?"

A sigh left the one-eyed girl's lips as she checked again on her cookies.

"And he's someone I find trustworthy," She repeated calmly. "At least, a little more than Ozpin."

"It's not much considering how mysterious Ozpin is," James rebuked politely. "Care to elaborate some more?"

A huff, then two. Finally she looked at Ironwood with a serious look.

"I can say that he has some knowledge of the future," Ruby admitted with some hesitation, quickly catching on the uneasy look on the General's face. "It's limited to only after I started studying at Beacon Academy… and finish way before I end up traveling in the past."

"Are you sure that he's not aware of the past events?"

"I can tell that he was surprised when I mentioned to him that you went to Beacon too for a time," The brunette mentioned calmly, ignoring James' alarmed look over this unexpected revelation. "In fact, I would say that he has been winging a couple of things while he was here in Atlas."

"That's sounds like a long stretch considering that he had quite the flawless visit," The General pointed out and Ruby giggled at it.

"I think it's more of an unexpected surprise for both the world and John himself," The Rose rebuked happily. "I would even go as far to say that he kind of reminds me of how I started dealing with how big the world is. Everything started to fall on my lap, both good things and bad ones."

…

"And?"

She huffed again. "And you're being awfully unnerving over the topic? It's like you have some doubts about my words."

There was a tense silence after she pointed this detail out, with the General actually looking away for a moment to contemplate about this and… he sighed.

"I feel like he's trustworthy too," He confessed with a nod. "But I've noticed that there are times where he sounds… just like Ozpin."

Ruby actually stopped thinking about cookies for a moment to give a serious look at the General.

"What?"

"It's more of feeling. Nothing truly… I can feel as a relevant element," He continued to say with an uneasy tone. "It's just feel like he's 'older' than me. That he is trying to take the world's burden as his own and-"

"James, do you forget that I'm literally doing the same?" She interjected with an annoyed voice. "I've seen what happens if we fail. And I know for certain that John is now aware of this too."

"So you trust him because-"

"Because, despite the fact he isn't part of the timeline I came from, he still wants Salem to lose since the alternative isn't acceptable," The young woman interrupted again. "My mere presence, albeit he will never say it publicly, frightened him at the prospect of losing everything."

"And you think that's enough?"

She actually smiled at that, having taken notice of something about John while she talked to him about the different timelines.

"I think that's _more _than enough actually," Ruby confirmed without hesitation. "I think he was already sold to the cause when Tyrian struck Sienna. But the moment he discovered me and what happens 'next' if we don't stop the queen? He has agreed to keep in contact with me on a monthly basis."

Ironwood looked surprised at this discovery. "Wouldn't it be convenient if I just stationed you in Menagerie?"

"No."

…

"What?"

She sighed. "While that would be helpful, I've two strong reasons to keep myself away from John and his family."

Staring down back at her cookies as the timer came to an end with a loud 'ding', Ruby smiled and turned off the oven.

"First thing first, I've things to do in Shade Academy. I need to set up a trap in case Salem tries to change direction and aim at the Relic of Destruction," The young woman explained. "Then there is the fact that I don't feel truly happy while around him."

…

"What was that?"

"It's more of an inner uneasiness I have. It's not about him being mysterious or anything like that," She elaborated. "It's more of what he shows as a genuine attitude over everything around him."

"But isn't he a good person?"

"He is. And one that actually tries to save as many people as he can," Ruby agreed wholeheartedly about it. But that was actually the issue for her. "Which is why it becomes difficult for me to feel at ease around him. He just reminds me of a time where I believed anyone could be helped."

"And I suppose that time is now long gone. When your friends all sacrificed to-"

"Don't!" She half-yelled almost quickly at that, tensing up at her brief outburst before sagging a little bit over the counter behind her. "I have my nightmares to remind me that. I don't need this."

"You should take my offer to go to a therapist," Ironwood pointed out firmly.

"I don't deserve that," The young woman rebuked nervously. "The world was screwed the moment I thought that I could find peace in the middle of that war. And now that I can finally get some peace while working on a way to fix things? I know that I don't deserve any of that. I made my mistakes, now I live with those."

…

"Did you tell him about that?"

She blinked, holding back her tongue from actually answering that trap of a question.

Still, she had to. It was more of a moral compliance than a willing one.

"Yes."

"And what did he tell you in return?" James pressed on with some more interest.

"That it's not my fault, and that I'm not even close to flawless," Ruby started to list up. "That I can't take all the blame on myself, and that I'm a moron for retorting everything without hesitation while he was talking."

A small smile twitched on Ironwood's face. "I can see him say all of that, but… I want to know what you think of it."

…

…

She sighed. "I _feel _like he is saying the truth. The way he is saying those words is just… right. He is genuine and he doesn't seem to be saying those things out of pity or sympathy."

"He sounds like he is actively trying to save someone with this intervention," The General pondered out loud with a rhetorical tone. "And I can see that it's actually working on you."

"Don't start again with this-"

"I'm not 'starting again' anything, Ms. Rose. But I do find myself thinking that maybe he wouldn't be wrong in helping you."

"You need me here to operate any attacks on Salem," She tried to bluff. It was a big stretch, but considering the trust he had given to her, it wasn't impossible for her to get away with it.

Sadly, fate had other plans as Ironwood proved to be stubborn on the matter.

"Your actions are indeed needed where I know those can make the largest impact," James admitted with a nod. "But it wouldn't be professional from my part if I allowed someone with survivor's guilt to operate without getting properly taken care for."

"I still need to go to Shade-"

"Which is why you will be reassigned once you're done with that task," He interjected quickly. "That will make up for plenty of time for you to think how to deal with the instance. Either you behave like an adult about it… or you pull a Bukharin."

She frowned at that, pausing just an instant to think about what was the last bit.

"Pull a… Bukharin?"

"John is known to despise getting helped, even though said help is of medical nature," The General explained calmly. "I've noticed that you two have a similar set of personalities. And there is this very element that you two share to an interesting degree."

"I wouldn't refuse medical help-"

"You just did by saying no to a therapist," Ironwood rebuked one last time as he scooped one of the steamy cookies up to his mouth. He gave it a swift bite and… smiled. "And this is quite the batch. I think this is one of the best cookies I've ever eaten."

Ruby's jaws dropped at that random comment, but before she had the chance of recovering, the man was already gone back to his office.

Left alone in the kitchens, the brunette groaned as she looked at her cookies, lifting one up to her lips and devouring it.

At first she was still influenced by the disgruntled mood the conversation had left her into.

Then she tensed up in awe at the delicious flavor of these chocolate cookies.

A grin spread on her face as she scooped two at first, and then five.

In her moment of gluttonous delight, the Rose couldn't help but think how this very situation had been created by a suggestion given by John himself.

'Since you aren't restrained from trying your luck in the kitchens, why don't you try to make some cookies for yourself?'

And the effort had paid off brilliantly from the delicious cookies she just made.

But it was in that bliss that she realized what her trail of thoughts had derailed into. She fumed for a moment, still munching at the cookies as she didn't know how to handle that moment of happiness and annoyance.

_**Goddammit John, why did you ruin my victory like this!?**_

* * *

**AN**

**Ruby being Ruby, who would've thought that?**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blaze1992****: That would be an interesting take! Sadly, it's gonna be a character from that universe. But I can't say when, or how… or why the hell is she like that.**

**Avalanche-dragoon****: It will be a proper chapter. Time-skipping is planned by the end of this arc.**

**Takamishin****: The thing is, while that would be fun, it would be quite difficult to make it happen. Also, there are plans for an 'inter-dimensional' encounter, but it isn't Dio.**

**Netapel****: But Watts is already a good guy in this universe?**

**Middernacht****: CONGRATS! I still remember graduating myself… and then I remember the final exam went for me- Yeah no, let's not think about that! XD**

**fuyuki365****: Sallie would love Mortal Combat, Doom and Doom Eternal. Ozzie is more RTS kind of guy, so I would say Hearts of Iron IV, or even Animal Crossing if he needs some time off the 'line of work'.**

**Byayan****: Difficult to say right now… Maybe?**

**Tom Ato****: That's a fun question. Either she dies too, or she pulls an Ozpin. Dunno that myself.**


	29. The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (4)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.__"_** – Ernest Hemingway**

* * *

**Chapter 29: The Love, the Hurt, the Wacky (4)**

* * *

Sometimes people end up making a tough decision in the form of being truthful or not toward those they care about.

Truth is never an absolute positive, no matter how one tries to look at it or how much it's immortalized as a sign of trust.

Truth can hurt people. Either those that don't know about it, or those that are unwilling to let it out to those unaware of it.

I never spoke about my family to anyone in Remnant as I never saw a need to bring them up to a conversation. It's just natural for me to shut myself out from dealing with the trouble, but it was mostly because the situation never pushed me to speak thoroughly about them. Or at least beyond the fact that there was I had a mother and a father.

But my sister? Kind of a secret I wanted to keep from others.

When a mysterious individual mention their parents, people tend to not give too much effort in digging any major details about this detail. One just doesn't expect that there is anything worth of concerning about if said individual is chill and showing nothing that should warrant any investigation.

But when a sibling is brought up to a conversation, especially a younger sibling… people need to ask.

It's curiosity. It's odd to ask about a parent, but a brother or a sister are regarded as interesting topic for anyone close to said individual. It just adds more flavor to their understanding of the person… and I should've expected for someone as sharp-minded as Sienna to pick up this detail out of my interaction with Winter.

Maybe I should've paid more attention to my words, knowing that I could've dodged this bullet by being a little less 'lax' over my secrecy over the situation.

And now it was late for me to try and dissuade the Tiger Faunus from this legitimate inquiry. I promised her transparency, and albeit reluctant over this subject, I decided to offer her a proper answer to that.

Sitting by the lone sofa in the small room that was assigned to us, I took a quiet sigh before starting to speak.

"I have a sister, yes."

Sienna blinked at my curt response, her eyes locked onto my face as she calmly sat beside me. She looked composed, maybe her own curiosity whipping her interest to adopt a less childish posture.

"You never said anything about it up until now," She muttered with a frown directed at me. "Did something bad happen to her before you left?"

A legitimate guess, but one that was quickly shot down with a simple shake of head.

"She was fine when I _left_," I remembered while nodding at her. "I think she was at school when I got here. I don't recall exactly the timing or 'how' it happened, but I'm quite sure of that."

"It's just… odd that you never said anything about it."

"I..." I paused for a moment, thinking how to best word out that situation. "I guess it's because I never felt a need to bring that up."

"I thought siblings were supposed to be close to one another."

"Not always."

There were cases of people headbutting over everything and… that was half of the relationship with my sister.

Stubborn, painfully so, it was difficult to entertain some proper activity with her. May it be watching a movie together, or even help her with her troublesome homework, things just were… difficult.

We didn't hate each other. Hate is a strong word that didn't fit on the matter.

Reluctance to work together at times? Maybe that best described the core of our connection.

Complexity against simplicity. Draining knowledge against empowering ignorance.

There were just a handful of cases where we would agree on things we shared a common like or dislike about.

Not the best, but far from a toxic relationship. We still covered each other's butts and… I really wonder how she's doing right now.

Struggling against another year of school, and this time without me around. Not that I was a monumental figure in her life, but I guess my disappearance had to have left some unpleasant development upon her mindset.

"You really don't… recall anything about how you ended up in Mistral?" Sienna inquired again, this time switching the topic to something close but far from the unpleasant one we just concluded talking about.

I nodded, my throat tightening as my brain tried once more to understand how it all came to be.

Was I sleeping? No, I hardly slept at the time. Five hours of rest and I was off for a full day.

Maybe it was a simple case of truck-kun taking me away from my world? While that sounds like the standard isekai scenario, I was quite sure that I had been back at home when it happened.

Did I trip on something and broke my neck? Or even, was I attacked by some burglar while alone in the house?

No, no. Both just failed to… feel right.

Things were just so complicated. And also not. In the end of this maddening trail of thought, I was still unsure, perplexed and uncertain about what left me on Remnant.

_**We both crossed out the Gods. They have a flair to introduce themselves when bringing a 'paladin' to deal with something.**_

_And I didn't have anything similar to your 'resurrection'. Just a 'blink' and I was there with you._

**[And me.]**

_And Sally, but there is also the fact of how you ended up in my head, lady._

**[That's a mystery I can't solve myself. It just happened so… suddenly.]**

_**Once again, this isn't the work of the Brothers. Something else is driving this situation left and right.**_

That is a can of worm I had contemplated opening in an eventual brainstorm, but the insane ramifications this very deviation of thought would lead to were something I was willing to ignore.

Another deity? Or was this the sick play of some eldritch-grade being?

It was all speculation without major proof that could prove anything. I was stuck with baseless thoughts and a lot of frustration even now that the situation was quite peaceful.

Sienna noticed, her eyes gaining an interested glint over my mood.

"Do you feel uncomfortable speaking about this?" She asked calmly, setting herself closer. "We can talk later about it, when we're back home and-"

"No, it's… it's alright," I interjected quietly. "I know this might seem as if I don't want to talk about it, but… it's more of me being unsure how to tackle the entire matter."

"Tackle it?"

"I ignored it for a good while when I first arrived here," I admitted. "I wasn't in a position where I could've just sit down and thought about what happened. I just winged it up until I felt genuinely safe."

"And… that was when you were found?"

"When I was inside the Airship that took me to Menagerie," I replied positively, adding some more details to the simple guess. "I just couldn't do a proper brainstorming session with Nora and Ren around, so it was pretty much… limited."

"And now? Did you give it a proper thought before today?"

"I did," I answered after a thoughtful moment spent quietly. "I might appear as someone that sticks to the present rather than thinking too much about the future-"

"But you're the opposite of that," The tanned woman interrupted mirthfully, catching me off-guard with that rebuttal. "Don't think that I've not seen you pondering about whenever there's something important coming up for you to deal."

I cracked a tiny smile. "I guess I'm not the 'mysterious guy' I'm trying to envision myself into."

"More like the 'kind-hearted guy' with many secrets, and a clumsy manner in dealing with those."

I frowned. "Clumsy?"

"I'm trying to be merciful with my adjective."

"Wait, what's worse than that?"

"Pathetic?" She shot back calmly, allowing a brief giggle before giving a peck at my cheek. "And no, I don't think you as pathetic. Just… that you can appear like that."

"I tend to cower a lot around you," I pointed out. "But I can assure you it's all before the moments you're angry."

The Faunus snorted. "Not always. You also have your times when you have more bite than just complying," Sienna retorted with utmost certainty. "Don't paint yourself that low. It's not correct to… me."

I frowned again. "You? What about me?"

"I think you wouldn't care, which is why I take offense at that," She pressed on. "Don't think I will just allow you to diminish what you really are, John."

"I don't-" I paused as I noticed her face suddenly settling closer to mine. The woman pressed onto me as she snuggled right onto my surprised look.

"I will not allow it. I refuse to see you beating yourself for doing what you managed to do with so little preparation and time to think," Sienna continued with this strong momentum she got over me. "And… and don't think that I will forgive you for thinking that you were at fault for my wounds."

Her hands swiftly cupped at my cheeks and I felt my eyes widen at that stubborn look that just promised a punishment. I braced for my cheeks to be pinched, being that she was just ready to do so if she wished… but then I felt my entire being going in shock as she pressed her lips onto mine.

The contact was brief, but her stubborn look persisted. And now she had a devious smile on her face.

"I can relate to your worry over my well-being. And I love it because I can understand it as I too feel the same," The woman muttered softly. "Just as you felt hurt when I got attacked, so I feel the same when you're the one suffering. I suppose that's just proof of what we are now."

**[I'm truly glad you both were honest to each other. It's… refreshing to see how you two are handling things like a team.]**

_**They're evenly matched, with both their flaws and qualities wrapping up.**_

I eased down at Sienna's final comment, my smile returning at the warmth coming from her genuine words.

"I suppose that… I can be kind of a dummy from time to time."

_**More like 'usually'.**_

**[Don't kick him down like that. John is just… unlucky.]**

"Just like everyone can," The Tiger Faunus added with a sigh. "Don't think your 'clumsiness' is unique. It's just… oddly-timed."

"Oddly-timed?"

"It's the best way I can describe when it usually strikes," She admitted with a tiny pout now forming on her face.

I chuckled, my arms finally wrapping around her waist, my casting being a little easier to manage now, so that I could properly pull her close enough.

She hummed as she happily nestled her head onto my shoulder, nuzzling lovingly at my cheek as we both enjoyed each other's warmth for a little while.

It was a nice interruption from the conversation, just enough for both to charge up our batteries and keep on. While the Airship was going to take a while to reach Menagerie, I was quite certain that Sienna wasn't planning to sleep this way.

My back just wouldn't forgive if that happened, and she hardly didn't seem in the mood to sleep anyway.

"Atlas was… my birthplace."

I blinked as I heard her whisper these words. I didn't spoke, allowing her to continue.

"I lived there just for… the first three to four years. I could barely remember anything about it," The woman muttered calmly. "My father was… the only family I had. While he would end up spending most of his time working by the mines to try and offer a chance for the two of us to have a good life, he still tried to be there to give me a decent childhood."

…

"You don't have to continue if… if it's too much," I pointed out. "I don't wish to be a parrot, but you've already said that we can easily wait for us to be back in Menagerie before having this kind of sensible discussion."

She blinked, her lips flashing a brief smile as she ponder about this. Ultimately, she gave a solid refusal and I allowed her to keep up with the story.

"Dad was incredibly kind. Always hard-working and helpful of those that were abused by the officers by the mines. He would always take the punishment with a smile and… that was enough to irk several administrators at once," Sienna resumed with a softer voice. "He was the only Faunus that didn't 'dislike' facing the punishment. They saw it as a threat and thus he was targeted more and more."

…

"He didn't- I don't really remember what happened to the mines, but he was… he was ordered to stay overnight one time, to fill up several posts at once," Her voice quivered a little, it sounded like she was having trouble remembering those times. I squeezed at her, trying to poke her out of that unpleasant pause, but she merely snuggled back before continuing. "There was a sudden cave in. Not many were there when it happened but… my father was among the victims."

"Sienna-"

"I-I don't know much about the man that gave me some money and set in an Airship directed to Menagerie," She continued, ignoring my concerned tone. "But from what I could tell from his sadness, I think he was someone that my father had helped back in the mines."

…

"When… When I arrived at the island, I was greeted with prejudice. Many children expected me to be a prude, someone that would outright refuse their own presence because of my 'Atlesian' arrogance," The Tiger Faunus mentioned with a sad tone. "I was… distraught at first. But then I started to work from the nothing I had. I pushed where I could, aiming for the highest score and settling only when I felt I had done enough. And..."

"Here you are," I concluded for her, prompting a mirthful smile to temporarily appear on her beautiful visage.

"And here I am."

We held together for some time, and I could feel her melting within our embrace as the worry disappeared slowly but steadily from her mind.

"Thank you," I muttered calmly, my undamaged hand reaching up for her scalp as I caressed her head there. She purred in return. "It's not easy to talk about these topics. I can tell from how you're trying to hold yourself from showing how much painful those memories are and.. I've just a little request about it."

She glanced up, a quizzical look flashing as I smiled at her. For a moment, I felt the table turning as I was the one offering help to her, just like she would do for me.

"Don't hold back. I will not judge you for being honest about it."

That was a signal. One that Sienna wasn't expecting for sure, but one that she suddenly felt the need to have now.

Her face dropped onto my chest, and she slowly but surely let go of her tough composure.

Gone were restrictions that had restrained her from allowing a couple of tears to run freely, with her quiet sobs occupying my attention for a long time.

I didn't move much, nor did I try to speak as I knew she needed this. It was as much of a relief for her as it was a matter of trust. A test to cement our current step forward.

From the way she started to smile more after that peaceful conversation, I had a subtle idea that things had indeed gone well for the two of us.

In fact, I had a proper confirmation of this when, as the Airship finished its landing procedure by Kuo Kuana's landing zone, we arrived at its entrance together, with Sienna tightly grasping at my hand as we made our first steps back home.

_**And while we were expecting to be greeted by just a small welcoming party, we ended up staring in shock at the massive gathering made by the island's entire population.**_

* * *

"_DAAAAAAAA-_"

Of course, the first one to approach us was a certain girl that had been missing her pops.

Nora zeroed the distance in mere seconds, going for a swift pounce once she was close enough and prompting Sienna to help me stabilize the giggling bullet since I had just a 'working' hand.

"-AADDY!"

"Sweetie, I'm back!" I exclaimed back, ruffling her hair as the child latched on me quite tightly and showing how much she had missed me.

"Did you miss me? I think you did- No, I'm sure you did!" She quick-fired, her speaking pacing unsurprisingly pretty speedy.

"Of course I did miss you. You and Ren to be precise," I replied happily. "By the way, where is he?"

I turned to glance in front of us, and I saw an awkward looking Ren slowly but surely walking up to us.

He stared up at me, his pink eyes exuding a little bit of nervousness. As he finally got close enough, I allowed Nora back on the ground, crouching down to the boy's level.

Blinking in surprise, Ren's own approach at a welcoming hug was slower but deeper. His arms wrapped tightly over my neck, and he nuzzled a little bit on my shoulder before some muffled words from him reached my ears.

"_I missed you._"

My smile widened. "I missed you too, Ren."

"Is it true that you sent the bad man in jail, daddy?" Nora quickly as she hugged me from behind. "I mean, I couldn't follow up what you were saying- but I could see how angry that bad man was getting. Is he now in Jail?"

I sighed. "He is, but not because of something I did and-"

"And what's that?!"

The little girl took notice of the cast over my other arm. She let out a loud 'woah', her eyes widening in minor awe as she studied the 'mysterious artifact' before her eyes.

"Dad, is this something cool from Atlas? Is this a fun dress there?" She asked giddily. "Or maybe it's a weapon? What is it?"

_**I think it could be used as a weapon and a cloth. She's not wrong.**_

_Speaking by experience?_

**[Yes~.]**

I snorted. "Not truly, sweetie."

"I reckon that's a medical cast, dear," Someone else added, the sudden feminine voice getting me tense and worried for some reason. I turned to the origin of this response, and I stopped to see that Kali had gotten closer to the scene rather silently.

She had a strange smile on her face, one that I felt like I had seen before but I couldn't exactly understand at the moment.

"By the way, John, I also remember you making a promise to call in case you got hurt somehow while you were in Atlas," The cat-eared woman continued with that odd tone, this time some shivers trailing down my spine. "I suppose you were busy to call. Surely you wouldn't have forgotten about this, you're not the kind of person that would test my patience this badly."

_...I'm in danger._

**[And not just by a little.]**

_**You should've called during the trip back home. Less issues, and higher chances of surviving this encounter.**_

"I-I didn't felt the need to worry anyone," I replied with incredible fear for my poor self. "I ended up being silly and tripped down a flight of stairs, hurting my arm a little bit in the process. Nothing to worry about."

Kali looked unconvinced, but it was Ghira that explained her unwillingness to trust my word about it.

"John, there is a large tag saying that it's a 'Grade 1 Burn Cast'," The leader of the White Fang mentioned blankly.

_Goddammit, I didn't notice that!_

_**You really didn't notice? I think Sienna did tell you already.**_

**[And you checked the cast yourself by a mirror when you were 'freed' from the wheelchair.]**

_I feel dumb. Like, really dumb._

"There was a shortage of the kind of casts meant for my specific situation, and they gave me-"

"You're not a good liar. I suggest you don't speak for now or else you might end up digging a deeper hole," Kali interrupted sharply, her hand reaching for my right ear to force me to stand up. I flinched at the sharp pull, but I complied quickly at her 'kind effort'. "We will speak about this once you both will have to visit father for your report over this little experience and… I see that you two are now closer than before~."

Her voice suddenly switched as soon as she noticed that Sienna standing just a breeze away from grabbing my arm. Maybe going for the hinting of this new development wasn't truly a good idea if Kali was preparing for a serious teasing sessions.

The comment swiftly got us to tense up, further fueling the giggles of the Cat Faunus as she studied us together with a mirthful and endeared look.

"I'm glad that you two finally spoke to each other, but I'm quite saddened that I wasn't there to see it all unfold before my eyes..." Kali looked slightly unhappy about this small detail, but then she smiled again as she turned towards Ghira and her father. Both men looked surprisingly nervous at the stare they were subjected to. "But I think I will find consolation from the fact I was right."

And by 'consolation', she seemingly meant the noticeable amount of Lien she was getting from both men. Blake blinked as her mother gestured her to walk closer, handing out to the confused child half of the gaining.

The girl's eyes widened, confusion swiftly replaced with fascination over this sudden income, but I could tell that it was all going to be wasted in more books for her to read.

I frowned at this unexpected development, but Sienna frowned deeper at the sight as she tried to digest the fact that they had bet on us getting together.

The scene wasn't a singular occurrence considering that other inhabitants of the island were exchanging money left and right.

Quite the humiliating sight considering that it broadened the list containing the people that had 'thought' about this becoming a reality and, for some reason, I felt incredibly dumber than before.

The Tiger Faunus' face, plus her jaws dropping by the second, also told me that I wasn't the only one in this boat, and that she was indeed having some immense trouble tanking in how expanded this case actually was.

"Wait!" Nora stated loudly, tugging at my shirt. "Papa, does this mean that you and Sienna-"

I nodded, and her eyes widened as endless thoughts irrupted into her mind.

"Does that mean that-" She didn't finish that sentence, a massive grin spreading on her face as she detached from me and suddenly jumped at Sienna.

"MAMA!"

And in that moment, I felt my heart picking up an unnatural pace at the scene unfolding before my eyes. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react as Nora hugged tightly at the surprised Sienna while also ignoring the absolute cuteness crystallized in that very instance.

My blank mind was restarted right as Ren turned at me with a confused look. "You married Sienna?"

"Ah- no- I mean, we just… decided to start dating, nothing more."

His eyes glinted realization, and he nodded before turning to the giggling girl.

"Nora, they are not married."

The happy girl tensed up and stopped, freezing up in time as her brain quickly sponged up the news.

...Wait-

_**Did you forget that Ms. Valkyrie is someone that jumps the gun quite easily?**_

**[Aww, that's cute! But also kind of saddening since she will be devastated by this.]**

"R-Really?" Her happiness melted away instantly, a sad look on her face as I regarded her with a slow nod.

"We're just dating for now, sweetie."

She seemed to think for a while to it, then her glance turned back at Sienna and she blinked at the woman.

"Does that mean that I can't call you 'Mom'?"

The Tiger Faunus blinked, her eyes showing incredible stress under that kind of pressure. And I couldn't exactly blame her for being reluctant about it considering who she was speaking to.

But just as I expected her to politely decline the offer, maybe by promising that it would become a reality, I was provided with a capitulation.

"I- I wouldn't mind."

A perplexed look adorned my face as a victorious Nora resumed her hugging with Sienna, ignoring the defeated look on the woman's visage.

Sienna glanced at me, displaying hints of shock at what had just happened as she herself seemed surprised by that sudden desire to comply to the child's request.

I merely offered her a sympathetic nod as I knew well enough about the phenomenon she was just subjected to. And I knew that this was going to be the first of many losses from her part towards Nora.

Just as this amusing situation come to an end, I noticed that Zardula was now approaching us. The Chieftain of Menagerie had a pleased look on his face, and he seemed particularly amused by the 'comedic' scene that preceded our current interaction.

Nora finally released Sienna from her hold, allowing the woman to stand beside me as we both greeted the leader of the island.

"Chieftain Zardula," The Tiger Faunus stated with a dutiful tone, drawing a similar greeting out of me.

"Sienna, John," The elder regarded us peacefully. "I'm glad to see you safely back to Menagerie."

He took a moment to nod at us both. "Your task proved to be most fruitful, all thanks to your shared achievements during this endeavor for Atlas. You both behaved impeccably before the public eye while also scoring some lasting victories for a true peace between Faunus and Humans."

"We- We are honored, Chieftain Zardula," Sienna replied quickly, while I merely nodded.

"I will share a longer conversation with you both tomorrow morning," He continued calmly. "After some hours of proper thought, I decided to regal you both a full day to recover from your journey, so that you can assess your reports with clear minds and rested bodies."

Now, that was quite… unexpected. Not that I was going to decline the nice development, and I could see the Tiger Faunus shared my own view on the matter.

"Despite that, I think I can already give three important news," The old Faunus added with a nod. "First… John Bukharin is now recognized as a full citizen of Kuo Kuana and Menagerie."

The crowd exploded in cheers directed at me. I glanced around, nodding left and right, but restraining myself to just that as to not be disrespectful with the leader.

"Second, I wish to inform Sienna Khan that her rank has increased to the grade of High Lieutenant of the White Fang." More cheers followed, but those didn't have the time to fully spread as the third news was dropped. "And finally, I wish to inform John Bukharin that his rank has increased to Deputy of the High Lieutenant."

…

_Oh?_

_**This can only end up poorly.**_

**[Maybe for John, but I see a brighter future for Sienna.]**

I didn't respond to that, merely taking in the fact that this was now happening and… why was Sienna giving me a smug look? And why did I feel close to get mauled by the playful tiger now that I was her direct second-in-command?

_**Gods, the day had just 'started', and I already feel like this is just the beginning of a long one…**_

* * *

**AN**

**Next chapter we will have 'who was not here'. Expects a lot of misunderstandings too, maybe some shocking discoveries and… the prelude of something oddly amusing to witness.**

**Also, I've been asked if I have Discord and yes, I do. It's JBukharin#5366. I don't need to explain that I will be unable to answer to everyone. Just don't spam me for Pete's sake!**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Tom24800****: HP was mentioned, just not in the way you think. It was a supposition, and his magic works… differently.**

**Gabe2000****: No, but she does have trust issues (with herself) and PTSD.**

**Thomas Knightshade****: She's battle-hardened, but also suffering because of the losses she endured in her lifetime.**

**Tom Ato****: Nice DBZA reference!**

**Fuyuki365****: I think Sally would love to hug Nora. The BFG might become a way to vent off her stress against nearby Grimm, but cuddles are a better way to deal with the frustrations.**


	30. Home Sweet Home

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Family is not an important thing. It's everything.__"_** – Michael J. Fox**

**Chapter 30: Home Sweet Home**

* * *

The way to reach home proved to be quite uneventful considering how 'big' the welcome 'party' had been.

Sure, people would stop to greet and ask for autographs, mostly from Sienna' side much to the woman's growing irritation and embarrassment, but nobody had genuinely tried to stop us any longer but for just these two occurrences.

And I was kind of glad since I was half-tempted to drop unconscious any moment now. A wave of drowsiness just happened to coat my body in a state of sleepiness, and my craving to hit a soft surface and rest for a couple of hours continued to increase with each step.

Tired and slightly sleep, I opened the front door of our house before spearheading the small group made by Nora, Ren, and Sienna.

The first thing I noticed was the thin layer of dust that had formed over the furniture, the floor and the walls. I stole just a look at the couch and I was swiftly dissuaded from trying to dive-bomb at it with how much dust was there for everyone to see.

But that was just what we could 'see' and not what was 'actually' there.

At this point, I had really hoped to be blessed with a few hours of resting by the couch instead of dealing with some unplanned cleaning session.

I wasn't expecting to find sleep now that I had the kids around, and I really didn't want to skip these precious few hours of being back with them either snoring or dreaming some foul nightmare.

Nora giggled as she rushed inside, glancing around and stopping only as she noticed how 'abandoned' the place looked to be. Maybe it was a little exaggeration, but her confused expression over the state of things just gave off that impression.

Ren was a little less expressive about it. Frowning with a hint of perplexity, the boy remained close to both Tiger Faunus and me as he took a proper look over the conditions of the living room.

"Wasn't Kali meant to pass by once in a while to avoid… this?" Sienna inquired with a tiny grimace, and I let out a tired sigh as I walked toward the kitchen.

"She has her own businesses to go through in her life, and she did say that she had to skip the task in the last few days," I calmly replied, finding some annoyance over this complication. "And it's not _that_ bad."

As to disprove my final comment, Nora gave a sudden punch at one of the pillows on the couch and the effect was instantaneous much to my surprise. The thing swiftly released a tiny cloud of dust that almost reached out for the young girl, but Nora retreated before the dreadful situation could've happened to her.

**[I remember when a certain someone would go missing during cleaning days.]**

_**It's more complicated than you make it sound like. I remind you how atrociously things went when I tried to lend you a hand.**_

**[Fire, smoke, and a terrible realization that you and cleaning weren't made for each other.]**

_It couldn't have been that bad._

_**John, there is a reason why I had just a tiny room where to rest beside my office.**_

Grimacing at that rebuttal, I finally decided to give some order of actions to the rest of the… group.

"I will start cleaning the kids' room, the bedroom, and the bathroom," I said as I laid out my plans for this part of the day, getting a nod from Sienna and some curious look from the children as they followed up with my words. "Then I will go for the kitchen and the living room."

"Do you need help with that?" The woman asked and I shrugged, part of me having forgotten about them about this specific predicament.

It wasn't like I was planning to do this all alone, but it's still… odd that I've to share that kind of chore with someone else. I really missed the fact I wasn't the only one taking onto this kind of burden...

"You can clean Nora and Ren's room with them," I offered quietly, giving them the 'easiest' of the options. "I will pick the bathroom and then we will clean the bedroom together."

Instead of finding both children reluctant to go through with that assignment, since the chore was usually seen as a punishment by many, I saw them both somewhat interested on the matter. Which got me confused at first… and then I was enlightened by the more extrovert of the two.

"If we finish quick, can we pick what to eat for lunch?" Nora questioned with a mirthful smile, and I could see why these two were being this 'eager' for the task.

"If you both clean well and thoroughly, then… yes, why not?" I said before giving a shrug, finding that logic as helpful as amusing. "But I hope you understand that it is all dependent to what there is in the fridge."

But Nora had already left the living room for her shared room with a slightly surprised Ren being dragged along for the situation before they both had the chance of hearing the tiny issue presented by the possible… lack of resources.

It's been a while since we were there, and there was a good chance part of the fridge had to be left on the trash can. I wasn't going to ignore the issue presented by expired food _after last time._

I also noticed that they left without even picking up the tools they would need to go through with this tedious task at hand.

It wasn't an easy job for kids, which is why Sienna was supposedly going to take a large portion of their work on herself and leave just the things we knew they will be able to go through without any issues.

Sighing, I turned to one of the cupboards and retrieved a couple of dusters and two mops.

Sienna blinked, but still accepted the mop I offered for her to use while handing on her free hand two dusters.

"You really mean it that it has to be a thorough cleaning," She muttered with some surprise.

I nodded back at her. "Yeah, and it's best we get this going as quickly as possible."

"We could've just dealt with the dust today and then cleaned the floor tomorrow morning, while the children are sleeping," The tanned woman pointed out and I sighed.

"Just… I don't want to deal with anything that tiresome early in the morning for tomorrow," I rebuked calmly, showing more of how drained I was. "We would've to be fresh and well-rested when Zardula will receive us for our reports."

Sienna nodded, keeping quiet for a while as we both started to walk toward the main hallway. Just as we made the first step towards our respective 'objectives', she decided to speak up once more.

"So… how do you feel right now?" The woman probed with some concern. "Are you sure you don't need some rest?"

"I'm a little tired, sure," I offered as a curt response. "But I can tell you're not far from falling asleep yourself, and I'm not planning to leave you to deal with the chores alone."

She tried to sober up and display a 'more awake' look, but a yawn betrayed her efforts and she groaned at the annoying noise.

"Seriously, I would've thought that spending most of our time resting and sleeping would've avoided this much of an issue," The Tiger Faunus remarked. "And yet I really want to catch some sleep right now..."

_**It's pretty common for people to get sudden tiredness when they return home after a business trip. It's… odd but-**_

**[It's mostly impossible to explain. I could remember times where I would've trouble keeping awake during my travels despite the fact my body was fine and my mind was far from drained.]**

_Travels?_

**[I moved a lot around what was once Terra when Ozma first died. You should know that I didn't linger by my former domains when I first sought the support of all human civilizations…]**

It was in that moment that I realized how that topic was bringing up unpleasant memories. Thus I moved to divert the attention elsewhere.

_I bet you got some interesting stories to tell._

**[A couple. But I can't say if those will genuinely entertain you.]**

_I'm sure they will._

**[...Heh. You should know better than try to appear overly-sweet to lift up a lady's mood.]**

_**It's only natural for anyone to be genuinely intrigued by tales of the past. Don't try to coat any act of interest as a lie just yet.**_

**[Only if you offer your own stories. I… I want to hear more of what happened after… when you died again.]**

I tuned out before hearing Ozpin's response, my attention being stolen away as Sienna moved and stopped right in front of me.

"And now you're thinking of something else."

"My brain is kind of messy right now. I'm sorry if I wasn't listening," I apologized instinctively. She sighed, giving me a slightly annoyed look.

"I can forgive you just this once because I can relate to the… drowsiness," The woman accepted, but her stare was still on me. "But I guess I will also leave what I was saying as a surprise."

…

"What?"

"I mean, I'm feeling quite tired myself and I don't want to repeat myself," She continued with a half-mocking tone. Frowning at that response, I stared down at her smug smirk and I sighed.

"Are we really doing this?"

"I mean, do you want to do this?" The Faunus remarked, almost parroting what I had just said.

I sighed in faux sadness. "I guess we're not."

Her eyes narrowed on me and she took a step closer to me, clashing her chest onto mine and boring me a serious look straight onto my eyes.

"So you don't want to snuggle with me after lunch?"

_How did this turn in me not wanting to spend time with her?_

**[You ignored her. What did you expect her to do?]**

_Weren't you two the ones that distracted me to begin with?!_

_**Maybe, but now you've to solve this. So keep up with the focus.**_

"Of course I do," I rebuked fiercely. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Then what was that 'I guess we are not' thing there?"

"Me reacting to your poor attempt to trick me?" I retorted tiredly. "And don't give me that look- How about we just keep up with that plan and forget about this?"

…

"Only if you prepare some snacks for us to eat."

I sighed. "Deal."

She offered a quick peck on my lips, swiftly retreating to the kids' room as I ventured inside the bathroom.

As I entered inside, I paused at the noticeable black spot forming near to the shower. My nostrils flared in disgust as I recognized the stench originating from it.

"Mold? Are you kidding?"

I stared at the unpleasant spot for a couple of seconds, recollecting my thoughts as I started to pray that I had bought some stuff that could work on this kind of problem.

_**This was going to be quite the tedious task alright...**_

* * *

Luckily for me, I had bought some products that were meant to fight back a case of mold of that severity. It took me much longer to get it all cleaned, but I ended up just in time to join the rest of the group inside the bedroom and… it turned way easier than the previous task.

Maybe it was because there was no mold to fix, nor I did need to go through the effort on my own, but still it felt good to be spared anything too draining as I was partly expecting.

Once we were done with that, I allowed the kids back to their room while Sienna and I finished with the cleaning operation by going through the kitchen and the living room.

We finished by the time I had to start preparing something for lunch, and so I waited for everyone to come at the table and see what the kids wanted-

"Pizza!" Nora demanded with the hungriest of tones.

And I didn't feel surprised at all considering how the girl had taken a liking for the dish. Pancakes might still be her number one food, but Pizza was easily her second favorite.

Still, I felt quite sheepish as to prepare a proper pizza it would take a full morning to get the bread dough, and I didn't have anything ready for that.

"Sweetie, you know that I can't prepare Pizza if-"

"Carbonara?" Ren quipped quietly, gaining Nora's attention as the girl gave him a confused look. "He can't do Pizza for today… but maybe he can do it-"

"The day after tomorrow," I offered and the boy nodded.

"Yes, that."

The orange-haired kid continued to stare intensely at her partner and… she smiled.

"Okay."

"Are you sure you're-"

"You just got back, Papa," She interrupted happily. "And I… I forgot that it takes a while to get the ingredients ready."

_That was… surprisingly tame._

_**She is still a child. While some of her 'known' hyperactivity is here, she is a far cry of what I remember Ms. Valkyrie being.**_

With that situation solved, I shifted my attention to the kitchen. Preparing everything took me less than half an hour, but the result was a delightful meal to share with the family-

…

**[Is everything alright, John?]**

_It's… fine I guess. I'm happy with how things are going but-_

_**You still miss your family.**_

_I… I know they're doing fine. Maybe they are worried, maybe they are afraid for me but… I know they're not going to hurt themselves over it and… and maybe they will forget about me._

**[That's sounds so sudden. Why would they need to-]**

_**Hoping for him to return would just increase the pain each time they remember him. The chances of him going back are null and… that leaves him with just that fickle prayer.**_

**[But what if there was a way?]**

_Then I would've to ponder if I want to lose the family I have now to return back to… them._

The inner discussion didn't continue after that, and I managed to mask my uneasiness away from the other occupants of the table.

Soon we started to eat and enjoy some pleasant chatting as we went through a simple lunch together. It was genuinely the happiest and 'lightest' moment I could've asked for and, in that moment, I was reminded that despite **them** not being there with us, I still was going to find people to rely on.

I spared a couple of glances to Sienna, and from the smiles she would return I could tell that she took notice of those quicker than expected.

Twenty minutes went by in the most peaceful of scenes, and then I found myself alone in the kitchen to clean up the used plates.

I had to remove my cast and put on some gloves to properly handle the dish-washing, but I quickly realized how the damage was mostly gone. Only a barely-noticeable aching remaining from the previously stinging sensation.

Humming quietly, and looking to the side to see the Tiger Faunus playing around with both children.

Nora was giggling madly as she dodged with her tiny and nimble self the taller woman. Sienna was trying to catch her while Ren stared at the scene from behind the 'safe wall' created by the couch, an unusual but endearing eager smile on his face.

Soon the giggling doubled as the girl was caught by the chuckling Faunus, with the woman's hands reaching for her sides and tickle there. My smile widened at the sight, and I went through my chores as quickly as I could without breaking anything in the process.

But just as I handled the last plates, my attention was stolen by the familiar sound of the doorbell reaching my ears.

The little playtime between Tiger and children was stopped as Sienna went to personally check on the door to see who it was at this curious hour.

There was silence at first, and I kept looking to try and see who was at the door. Yet the quiet was interrupted when a pair of quick footsteps reached the living room before Nora realize who they were and rushed to greet the closest of the two.

"ILIA!"

The young chameleon Faunus tried to match with her own smile the rambunctious reaction from her friend, the two girls sharing a quick hug while Ren preferred to greet her with a smile, a nod, and a curt greeting.

My attention moved a little bit away from her as I took notice of the second newcomer as he waved at me.

"Mr. Bukharin!"

The red-haired Bull Faunus greeted loudly and I nodded back at him while giving a kind smile.

"Hello Adam."

Vibrant blue eyes glinted a happy reaction to my reply, and for a moment I forgot the kind of person the boy could've turned into if I had left his mother to die.

_**He still can become that monster.**_

**[I think his mother will teach him more about morality. And don't act as if people can change from this 'little'. A parent can still do the difference.]**

It took me a brief moment to realize that he looked 'cleaner' than the last time I saw him. The boy's life had clearly improved from how happy and properly-dressed he looked to be.

Maybe his mother did find a good job the moment they both arrived at Menagerie, and maybe they were indeed living a better life than the one they had in Atlas.

_**It's not much of an improvement considering how squalid the standards of life are for Faunus right now.**_

Before I had the chance to keep up with Ozpin's comment, I saw a certain girl finally taking notice of me and rush to greet me.

Wrapping her arms around my legs, she looked up with a big smile while her chameleon features acted up.

Her hair turned blue, with her freckles becoming yellow, and her eyes a warm shade of red.

_Is that… her happy reaction?_

_**Blue, yellow- those are generally colors to highlight happiness. I'm unsure about red but-**_

**[She looks so adorable! Look how happy she is!]**

"Mr. Bukharin."

"Illya," I replied quietly but mirthfully. "I'm happy to see you this lively."

She smiled and freed my legs from her tiny restraint. "I've heard from Adam that you've helped his mother," The inquisitive girl muttered. "Is it true that Faunus are treated badly in Atlas?"

I took a moment to blink and… realize how the situation had gone from a simple greeting to a very awkward question I was surprised to find myself answering to.

But still, that was quite an unexpected assault from little Ilia. I thought she was more shy than this.

_**You forgot how accustomed she got to your presence. Shyness is an element that can selectively be removed when the 'shy person' can trust the people around themselves.**_

"I wouldn't say the situation as tough as it might sound to an outsider, and I can say that from now on conditions are going to improve since Nicholas Schnee has announced he would take over once again until his daughter is ready to take over," I replied carefully, knowing that bringing up mistaken terms could genuinely get an odd and unwanted situation going. "Let's just say that Adam and his mother suffered through some unquestionably bad conditions."

The boy's smile faltered a little bit and I gestured him to come closer the moment I saw this.

He glanced up, expecting me to say something more but first… I reached for the top of his head and started patting.

"You still showed a brave look before the trouble. I hope you know you should be proud of holding up against the absurdity that existed in Atlas."

His smile was renewed at those words.

"And I see you two have formed quite the bond with each other."

Adam nodded. "Ilia writes the best of stories."

The compliment warranted a quick blush from the chameleon Faunus and the girl's face tinged in a deep red at that.

"It's… I suppose many like what I write."

"Your stories are more than good, sweetie," I replied kindly. "I can assure you that it's not just a flattering compliment, but a badge you should wear with pride."

She gave a nod but… she then gave me a quizzical look.

"By the way, Mr. Bukharin, do you know who else is invited for tonight's dinner party at the Chieftain's mansion?" The girl asked with a less serious tone. "Mom and Dad couldn't say, and not even Adam knew about it."

"Mom said that we were invited with Doctor Watts. And that Mr. Bukharin was going to come too."

I stared at both children, confusion growing more in my head as I tried to make sense of what I was hearing about.

A dinner party? And it was going to happen tonight at the Chieftain's mansion?

Why didn't Kali or Ghira say anything-

Wait, we're invited?!

**[Too many questions!]**

_**And so little notice. What a troublesome situation indeed.**_

I looked up at Sienna, the woman returning my confusion stare with one of her own as we both confirmed that we were clueless about this development. Could it have been something planned out after we returned?

That would be incredibly awkward to mention to us if we were meant to be among the invited guests.

The doorbell rang once more as I continued to ponder over the situation, prompting the Tiger Faunus to check at the door again.

The new entry to this unexpected scene was… someone that I hadn't expected to see this soon.

"Arthur," I greeted with a grin. "Good to see you."

He huffed. "John, I see that I've… intruded while you were busy," The scientist replied after nodding at me. His eyes turned to see Adam and the boy looked slightly… nervous? "Adam, you shouldn't have rushed so quickly. Your mother wanted to ask you to do a couple of things before running off with your friend."

"Apologies, doctor."

My eyes widened a little bit at that deflated response, prompting a proper look at the Bull Faunus as he looked quite somber after that admission. But before I had the chance to inquire about this odd reaction, my ears caught Watts sighing again.

"Adam, I remind you that I'm not angry at you for behaving your age. The only thing you should mind is that you did leave your mother a little bit worried by running away like that," Arthur muttered calmly. "You may seek games with your friends, just don't forget to bring up this to either me or your mother."

The tension in the boy's posture eased up at these words and… I realized what was wrong with him, my blood boiling at the mere thought of the possible reason.

_He was expecting a punishment._

_**It's rare for someone this young to display this much fear for misbehaving. It's a clear sign of abuse.**_

**[Poor dear… thankfully he is doing great now that he is away from that horrible place.]**

Patting the boy's head again, I managed to unravel his nervousness even more.

"And since I'm here now, I guess I can tell you already that you've been invited-"

"To a formal dinner at the grand manor?" I interceded with a curious tone, drawing a surprised look out of him.

"I guess the children told you."

I nodded. "But I want to understand why this news arrived this… 'late'."

"I confess I'm to blame about this," The scientist apologized calmly. "I've been asked by Mrs. Belladonna if I could've been the one to give you two the news and… I ended up spending too much time at my workplace for today."

"Are you still getting accustomed with your new living conditions?" I questioned with a hint of fascination, starting to feel intrigued over the fact Watts was this close to the Taurus family.

"I would be lying if I said that I'm adapting smoothly. Some elements, like the different climate and the smaller size of the community compared to what I was accustomed to, are work in progress. But the workplace afforded for my newest role as leader of the R&D group for Menagerie is… refreshing," He explained with a polite smile. "I've also taken a liking with my living conditions. The chieftain saw it fit that I shared a house with young Adam and his mother."

"A liking?"

Arthur looked quite nervous for a moment, but soon he answered.

"Mrs. Taurus… Emma became something of a trusted assistant," The man explained slowly but truthfully. "She is a hard worker, and she has backbone to mention I'm wrong when I try to go through some possible failure."

...No, that's not happening.

_**I'm… I'm unsure what you're talking about.**_

Sally merely giggled in the mindscape, clearly aware of what I was implying considering the thoughts I was having on the matter.

Maybe I was being too quick with my suspicions, maybe this wasn't going to end up in a way I had totally not expected to see.

But… But what if 'that' happens.

**[Lots of fun shenanigans!]**

_And you would love all of them._

**[Guilty as charged~!]**

Still, I was glad that Watts was in the 'Anti-Faunus' spectrum of Atlas' population. The fact he seemed quite genuine over his respect over Adam's mother and how… 'carefully' he was treating Adam's distrust for Atlesian it was kind of…

_**Surprising? Disgusting? Shocking?**_

_Heartwarming._

_**And that's a 'Disgusting' from me.**_

The conversation didn't trail for too long. With Watts still having work to do and with Ilia having promised her parents to return home quickly to prepare for the dinner, the house was soon freed of any guests.

And while peace quickly regained control over the place, I still pondered about the situation at hand.

Kind of sudden for Zardula to be indicating a dinner party for our return… so quickly. I was surprised, and confused.

But still, I decided that maybe it was just a thing he came up because someone told him to. Maybe his daughter.

Maybe Kali had plans I wasn't aware about and…

Despite my endless musing, I still managed to hold well thorough the day as I managed to get the promised snuggling time with Sienna while the children went back to their room.

_**Tonight was going to be a long night after all, and I needed all the cuddling I could get.**_

* * *

**AN**

**It's kind of amusing how Watts is… quite easy to write as a good guy. The only thing that got the 'mad doctor' to act for Salem was his hatred for Atlas. It was never mentioned if the accusations thrown at him were genuine since he never shown any indication nor propensity in biology-related experimentation, but… I could see him being a victim of Atlas' own brand of corruption.**

**Also next chapter is… a tiny timeskip. Just a couple of weeks after their return as I want to bring up some 'speed' to the story. And no, I'm not planning to speed up so suddenly, but I just want to make the world rotate a little more… and give time for 'stuff to happen'.**

**And next chapter will have a new dilemma, one that will pit Ozzie, Sallie, and MC one against the other.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Tom Ato****: It would be awkward to explain to the 'current principal of Beacon' how he ended up becoming the godfather of the children of an individual he's studying from afar, and that is if we ignore how he would go ballistic at learning that his 'ex-' wife is their godmother. About last question… maybe. Maybe it will happen quite soon.**

**RokenDarkly****: But would Yang mind the whole 'two mothers' things? I've yet to 'introduce her own problems' to the story so I wouldn't count her as someone that wouldn't mind about it just yet.**

**Fuyuki365****: Maybe. (And I've updated in time~!)**

**Wizzer96****: If I get the chance in one of the next chapters… maybe.**


	31. Never too Easy (1)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future.__"_** – George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Blair)**

**Chapter 31: Never too Easy (1)**

* * *

One would easily expect for the important dinner to be besieged by some sudden guest that I wanted to avoid. Like Ozpin… and Ozpin.

Really, I wasn't planning to be cornered by the headmaster, and my little prayer was answered when the event turned out to be actually fine.

Sure, I had to deal with the fact that Kali took it upon herself to question me about my intentions with Sienna… while the Tiger Faunus was sitting right beside me.

The teasing and the 'threats' that were delivered in that big dinner ended up being the cherry atop the amusing cake that was made by various interesting situations unraveling during the situation.

First hint that the day was going to end in the most amusing of ways was when the kids were given their own tables to sit. Nora decided to be the prime entertainment for the rest of the children, leading left and right the conversation through quick and somewhat cohesive topics.

Ren was there to deter her from descending too much with the crazy stuff, but the overall result was a completely endeared table as the new entries of that group seemed to be faring well about it.

Adam in particular seemed to be having fun talking with Ilia. The Chameleon Faunus was having a blast offering her own ideas to the easily-fascinated red-haired boy.

Blake would quip from time to time, adding more to the duo and broadening it to a full-fledged trio.

To think that these three were meant to be enemies…

I'm glad to see that things turned out this well for us all.

The second subject that drew a fair amount of my attention was when Kali diverted her 'teasing' to Arthur and Emma, Adam's mother.

I first encountered her by the entrance of the mansion. The woman almost tackled me to the down while she barraged me with 'thank you's over what happened back in Atlas.

Since she didn't have the means to reach me out while I was still in Atlas after she left for Menagerie, the woman had been struggling to think up how she was supposed to thank me properly.

I just asked her if she was alright and to ask if she needed help. It wasn't what she was expecting, and she did pout a lot when she returned back to her son.

Watts regaled me with a confused frown when he noticed this development, but the older Bull Faunus saw it fit to tell the truth instead of exaggerating from the way the scientist gave me a sympathetic but sheepish look shortly after.

They were both close to each other much to my surprise, yet they still regaled themselves as 'housemates' and work-partners.

Not even Kali's own brand of pestering the two to 'confess' the truth seemed to yield any results with the possible couple, and the true nature of their relationship was left up to suppositions and untold contemplation.

Still, I was surprised that these two had bonded so easily… but then again Watts had never displayed a degree of hatred for Faunus, so maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise that he just found Emma's hard-working nature more than enough to endear a serious relationship.

With the dinner ending with a toast for both Sienna and I, the rest of the night concluded with the guests going back to their respective homes and sleeping until the next morning.

And from there the 'normal days' resumed for both me and the Tiger Faunus. Starting from the task of reporting the results obtained during the diplomatic visit, and some of the details noticed during our wandering, the Chieftain seemed overall pleased with what was brought back home.

There were some minor issues born from the fact we brought so much without proper notice, but he wasn't willing to complain about the absolute victory scored for Menagerie and thus he didn't see it fit to do more other than reminding us to 'call' when the situation was getting complex.

Kali was also there as she had promised, happily listening to everything we were saying while a tired-looking Ghira was trying his best to divide his attention between his own share of the paperwork and what we were saying.

Things went a little bit 'tense' when the Cat Faunus decided to ask about the cast I had been wearing when I returned back to the island as neither Sienna nor I were ready to answer that question.

The irritation building up within the usually kind and motherly woman as we ultimately spilled the beans seemed to be good enough proof of our concerns as we were _scolded _for endangering our lives.

The worst was aimed at me as I was the one that got the most injured during the trip, and for those excruciating moments I felt like I was being chided about like a brat caught doing something bad.

And that was something I was well-accustomed to from my childhood when my own mother would use her legendary wooden spoon whenever I did something grave. Which was frequent when I was a little kid.

From this first step back in normalcy, work seemed to return a priority to me as I found out that the owner of the bank had deemed it fit to create a new section of the bank and put me in charge of it.

While the promotion sounded sudden, I quickly realized that it was more of a damage control situation than else. I had inadvertently brought up a dangerous situation that had risked to damage the reputation and the integrity of the bank.

To prevent this from ever happening again, the owner decided to create the 'International Section' that was meant to deal with clients that didn't reside in Menagerie. I was chosen to lead this small group of people that had some understanding of the topic, and the first assignment was to draft a series of modifications that were meant to positively reform the current charter of the bank.

A tough job that took me a ten days of long workdays to get through, but finally got me a much deserved increase to my payroll. The income was almost doubled because of this and I quickly started to draw out plans to expand the house earlier than I had initially wanted.

With the money gained from the trip to Atlas and the promotion at the workplace, I was quite certain that the first project of expansion would commence in a month or so... even less if nothing that could drain our finances happened.

But while this sounded so nice and all of that, a minuscule issue appeared when my relationship with Sienna was cemented… through a couple of dates.

One would expect that those ended up being nightmarish considering the interest displayed by Kali, the children, and pretty much most of Menagerie… but I was surprised when almost every single one of those went pretty smoothly and without interference from anyone we knew.

The secret of our success? We didn't tell anyone that we were going out for dates.

People just expected us to just hang around when we were free and both Ren and Nora were still at school, but we were already testing out the current state of things as a couple by going to the only restaurant on the island or checking the safe areas of the beach to rest for a few hours.

But like all good plans, something odd and unexpected would sometimes come out and play a curve ball at us.

In this case, the 'something' was a certain banditress that saw fit visiting and checking from time to time.

Now that I was not dealing with some important work out of home, Raven saw it fit to enlist me as a free therapist. It wasn't a full commitment, and I was pretty sure that some of the 'sessions' were about her barging on our dates and 'deciding to spend some time with us as friends'.

It didn't help that she was giving me strange looks any time she said the word 'friend' as if to press a joke on my face or something. I had plenty of clues about what she was trying to accomplish, but the red-eyed huntress had severely forgotten I wasn't someone that was just going to accept what she wanted from me.

To make things clear, the issues behind that kind of relationship with Raven were… mostly dictated by my morality and some good bonds I had with the rest of Team STRQ.

Sure, Taiyang had severed most of his past connection with his first wife, but I was quite sure that he really didn't want Yang's biological mother to leave the little girl.

Despite Summer's own efforts to mitigate the new predicament, it was complicated to explain to both the girls back in Patch that nothing much was changing and that Raven was no longer Taiyang's wife.

Yang was the greatest obstacle, with her unwillingness to consider the chances of both Summer and Raven being her moms in equal manner. Days had gone by but progress was sluggish and mostly difficult to spot on without paying incredible attention to both the young blonde and the tiny cookie-muncher.

I was planning to visit by the end of the week, but for now I was stuck facing quite the troublesome thing that was love.

Or rather, the ramifications that usually come out of it.

Sienna was quick to devote herself to her new role in the White Fang, expecting for it to be a promotion that would make her command more people and reform positively what needed to be fixed in the current organization. It was nothing radical and… her expectations proved to be correct much to her early delight.

Sadly, that wasn't the only duty that came out of the promotion. Paperwork was also a thing that increased with her rise to the ranks, and her despaired groaning would linger in the living room whenever we were all back home and enjoying the 'post-work' routine.

The Tiger Faunus wasn't granted that privilege as she was drowned in the papers detailing reports and requests from various subordinates.

But how does this become a problem to me?

**[Because you're whipped~]**

_Oh, come on!_

_**You could've technically have said no… even though that would've left you in quite the odd conundrum.**_

At first it was a single request, then it became a situation that happened from time to time and… finally she asked for my full-time commitment to help her with paper.

'After all, you are my second in command.'

That very sentence, given with a mischievous smile and a wave of documents over my face really left me annoyed but… it wasn't like I was planning to leave her to struggle with that much paperwork.

Especially when half of it turned out to be letters from 'admirers'.

I was slightly surprised to learn about this curious predicament, but I was more irked when I discovered some of the admirers going as far as using rather crass terms to address their interest.

This occasion proved to be a good opportunity to create a stash of paper that could be used to fuel the grill to make some BBQ.

With this becoming another element of my busy daily life, the last addition to my week was the introduction of something I had promised Sienna to start trying with her.

Training. Hardcore sessions at that.

She didn't spare me much relief as she gave me an absurd schedule to 'begin with', and my aura-deprived body was quick to get strained against the surreal list of exercises I had to go through each day.

Two weeks went by smoothly ever since we came back to Menagerie, and I was still struggling to get beyond half of the crazy stuff the possibly-masochist Faunus had deemed good for me to endure and train for.

Tiring days for sure, but I wasn't regretting any of those as each day things seemed to become 'easier' to handle.

I was a workaholic that just needed time to get accustomed to a sudden increase of my workload, but one that ended up in a relationship with someone that demanded to nap together with me for a couple of hours every day.

So I wasn't risking much by juggling so much when someone I could trust and rely on was keeping a good watch over me… while I did the same with her as she carefully handled important affairs for the White Fang.

As time went on, I was expecting for something to happen quite soon as… I knew that the world wasn't just going to allow me this much relief without offering some bumps to deal with once in a while.

And boy, how much I was correct when something interesting did happen.

* * *

I was feeling rather dead. My bones were hurting, my breathing was ragged and stressed, and I was half-tempted to drop off from the current exercise.

It's been two hours already, and, while I had the time to rest during two breaks that were five minutes long each, I could tell I wasn't going to be able to finish this last exercise.

"D-Dear, can I stop at eighty?" I asked quietly, my throat hurting a little bit because of the duress my entire being was being subjected to. "I'm already at- at seventy-five push-ups, I don't think I can go for too long."

She sighed. "Hun, didn't you tell me that you wanted to be prepared to tank any sudden attack on us?"

…

_**Silence is often regarded as tacit consent-**_

**[Oh, I'm familiar with that. I remember someone keeping quiet when I gave him a similar option. Something about cleaning the bedroom and-]**

_**Are you really planning to bring out all the dirty laundry?**_

**[Speaking of dirty laundry-]**

_**Have some mercy, woman.**_

_Heh._

Despite my 'victory' within my mind, Sienna ended up taking on Ozpin's vision over my quiet self and she chuckled, crouching to pat my head and adjust one of the two small weights she had settled on my back.

"It's not that far. You just need to do twenty-five more."

_That's not as easy as you're saying!_

I stopped a little longer, thinking of a way to get off this maddening exercise at once and… I got a brilliant idea.

"S-Sienna, do you remember that… nice fish dish you wanted me to prepare for you?"

"Yes? What about it?"

"Well… I had planned to prepare it for you tonight but… I might not be able to do it if-"

"I think seventy-five is enough," She quickly interjected, giving me a nod before narrowing her eyes on me. "But I want double portions."

"D-Deal," I said before allowing myself to collapse on the ground. Who would've thought that the earth of this training ground would've been so nice, warm, and soft.

_**I think he is slowly losing his mind. The tiredness is taking a toll on his sanity.**_

**[Pity… So, what do you think that strange hooded figure staring on his right is planning to do?]**

The sudden change of topic further demoralized me, but I slowly digested Sally's comment about the 'figure', opening my eyes to try and see what she was referring to and… I frowned as I found that there was indeed someone sitting by the nearby staircase that led to the training ground.

The figure was rather small, and I was quite sure that they were a child. I couldn't say if they were a boy or a girl from the hood and cloak covering their frame.

As soon as they noticed my stare on them, they started to move. Standing up from their seat, they descended down the steps instead of running away.

Their pace was quite slow but determined as I calmly stood up from my little 'rest', allowing Sienna to help me up as I kept on staring at the approaching individual.

The tanned woman was about to tell me something, but she stopped herself in time as she trailed my stare up to what was keeping me distracted.

Her own eyes were set on this unexpected intrusion, but I regarded it more as a kid trying to get an autograph or something like that.

_**I feel like there is something familiar about this child.**_

**[You can't see them. How would you recall them from somewhere else? Also, I think it's rather ominous that they are approaching you like that.]**

For some reason, this very conversation reminded me of something… bizarre.

I shrugged it off, deciding against waiting and already greeted the kid as they continued with their approach.

"Hey, do you need something?"

The question was ignored at first, but then the child got close enough, a voice came out of them.

"You're John Bukharin," The girl said with a certain tone. "I was searching for you. I wish to speak with you."

Curt, serious, and somewhat familiar. Now I could tell that I had heard about her voice before but… I was confused by the different pitch.

"Really? And what do you need from me, young lady?" I still returned, my voice hinting at my curiosity as her hands reached for her hood to pull it down.

_**Oh no. Nonononono.**_

My calm self lasted until her identity was finally revealed. It took an immense sense of self-control to keep myself from gawking, but my eyes widened as I was shown her face.

Her hair was curly, but barely reaching her shoulders in length, while her fringe wasn't long enough to cover either of her amber eyes. Her skin was a pale complex, like snow, and her serious look hardly fitted with a child her age.

She was older than Nora and Ren. I was tempted to say she was as old as Winter was right now and… I was flabbergasted by the sight I was being bestowed to.

"Mr. Bukharin, I've heard and seen of your deeds," She said while giving a simple and polite bow of her head. "My name is Cinder Fall, and I wish to learn from you."

_**No.**_

**[She's just a child-]**

_**That will cause the death of several of my students, of innocent civilians, the fall of Beacon and-**_

_And much more._

To be fair, when I was expecting for Murphy to come by to screw my happiness, I wasn't looking for him to drop a probable nuke on my lap.

Cinder Fall, the woman that ordained the ugly ending of Volume III. The one that was responsible for Penny's and Pyrrha's deaths, the one that ended both Beacon Academy and the Kingdom of Vale in a single evening.

It was like staring at a young Stalin, and trying to not just act on behalf of the innocents that were killed because of his future actions.

A dilemma I hadn't planned to deal… ever.

This was perhaps worse than facing a certain Headmaster. At least that issue could be dealt with.

Some bitterness was expected to influence my words, but I wasn't going to screw my cover over my opinion with the other Ozpin.

But Cinder? Oh, I didn't have a proper answer to that conversation. Was there even a hint of me that wanted this to be a conversation?

A single attack, a precise strike to end her life.

Sienna was the only one there that would see it and-

**[And then become like Ozma? Bitter and afraid, always pondering about killing those that you're scared of meeting? Will you try and kill 'Ozpin' next time too?]**

I felt freezing at that sudden interjection. Sally's words were sharper than I wanted to feel them as they cut deep in me.

This… this was what I really feared.

Ozma, despite the dislike and contempt I had for him, was someone that had legitimate reasons to be this conniving and meddling. The world was massive, and pawns can easily become knights and worse if they were left to linger for too long.

Remnant was just this big chessboard that… had slowly swallowed me deep in the centuries-old game.

It was frustratingly wrong but… it had to be do-

'_When your grandfather passed away, I was really at loss.'_

_**What is-**_

**[A memory. One I found deep inside your mind. How could you've forgotten this is beyond me.]**

'_I thought I should have hated someone. That I should have just sought loneliness to wallow in my own despair and… for a time I feared the most about my life._'

_What changed back then, mom? What pushed you to go further?_

I could remember a bitter smile, but a determined glint from her eyes as she prepared to answer my simple question.

How old was I at the time? Fifteen? Or maybe sixteen?

'_Your grandfather was a thoughtful man. He left notes in his last will that addressed the chances of me falling in depression. He scolded me if I did. He wrote that he would've been disappointed if I gave up everything so suddenly all because he was gone._'

A sigh, she slowly gave me a hug. I could remember her forehead pressing on my shoulder.

'_You are a good person. You might be silly at times, and you tend to be impatient about what you want to do,' _She muttered tiredly. '_But you still come out on top with a bright smile. Even as a child. So I wish to make a promise to myself._'

_And that… is?_

'_When you see someone in pain, don't allow them to suffer alone,_' She answered with a calm tone. '_Be their pillar, and allow yourself to take onto your back the burden. Never change and never allow yourself to grow cruel and bitter.'_

…

…

_Indeed. How could I forget?_

This simple query felt so light to ask to my mindscape, but my attention swiftly rushed back to reality as I addressed the proposal with a frown.

"Learn from me? But I'm not a Huntsman," I rebuked with a confused look.

"You still managed to beat someone like Jacques Schnee. You humiliated him and-"

"And I made sure that people hurt by him were no longer hurt," I interjected kindly, catching little Cinder off-guard. "It wasn't much me going after him to prove something to anyone or myself. He tried to meddle on our work and I reacted accordingly."

"But what you did- it was still something that brought change," The young girl retorted. "Not only you proved to be better than him, but you also reverted some of the things he made in the process."

That was a hefty praise considering the little individual I was speaking to, but I was far from getting myself bribed with some flattery.

"That I did, but I think you're seeing the reasons that led me to that point differently than it really was," I half-agreed. "I was in Atlas for a specific business, one that threatened Jacques' interests and he thought it smart to try and stop us through Atlas' laws."

"But it didn't work. You were aware of what he was trying to do," Cinder remarked with a nod. "And knowledge is power."

She was like… twelve. How was she being this much of a power-hungry person at this young age?

_What drove her to become like this?_

I didn't wait to hear an answer from my 'mindmates', knowing that they were clueless of what led the girl to this route.

The only one that knew right now as Cinder herself.

"Indeed. But let's stop talking about me for a moment," I replied with a small smile. "And let me ask you this. Who is Cinder Fall?"

…

"W-What?"

"I mean, I know she is a young girl asking to become my apprentice. That she has short, curly black hair and a pair of cute amber eyes, but other than that I know so little about you."

She frowned, finally understanding what I was talking about, but tensing up at the fact I was asking to know more about her.

"Is this important?"

"I think it is," I rebuked quietly. "In fact, I found myself interested about what drove you so far from your former home."

Her intention increased, and her stare moved away from my face and down to the ground.

"I… I don't. I don't want to sound rude but-"

"You don't want to tell me."

…

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," I interrupted again, trying my best to sound kind and polite before I crouched down to stare better at her. Her eyes carefully returned to my own and she looked unhappy about the situation. "But the reason why I'm asking is… I think there is a good motivation that pushed you to crave for power."

…

"And?"

"And I want to know. After all, how I'm supposed to help you as your possible teacher."

"What if you just want to know and then you refuse me as your apprentice?"

That's a fair point, but I had a fairer point at my disposal.

"What if we make a deal that if you tell me right now the truth, I will take you as my apprentice?"

…

"Why?"

I shrugged. "Call it a hunch. I think it will be worth it."

She kept quiet for some time but… then she spoke. And I wasn't prepared to hear her backstory.

One of the many things the original series failed to address was why someone as malicious and devious as Cinder Fall came by. Why did she ally with Salem? Why she wanted that much power and…

Why was she so empty inside?

The answer was only one for all those queries, and it stemmed from her childhood.

The daughter of a rich farmer, her life was a good one until the fable she was inspired from decided to rear its ugly mug.

A woman ended up endearing her only parent, and with her came two young girls that were the daughters of the woman.

While the tale of Cinderella had its high and low points, ending with a positive finale, Cinder's story was tainted by the cruelty of modern times.

Her father died by mysterious circumstances and his inheritance was all taken by his last wife. And in this case, the step-mother didn't decide to turn her into a cheap servant.

Oh no, the situation went a darker turn as the woman deemed it fit to erase the only possible evidence of her crime by shutting the girl close in her room and setting the entire villa on fire while she and her children ran away from town.

In a normal circumstance, that had to have been traumatic as much as it could be… but the event was the catalyst for one of the greatest Grimm's invasions a settlement has ever suffered.

The villa was located in the center of the large town that was once Cinder's home. The fire caused a large upheaval within the entire population and that eventually attracted the Grimm.

So when Cinder managed to free herself from the closed door by breaking it through the use of her unique Semblance, the child was horrified to find monsters assaulting the place she called home.

The abuse that had lingered from the years when things had started to decline before this zenith of horror had left her stuck with a single mentality.

The world was a terrible place filled with terrible people. And the only way to gain respect, loyalty, and change was to accumulate as much power as she could and become a monster far greater than any of those malicious individuals.

This wasn't how Cinder relayed it, but from the burning tone influenced by her temper and the genuine tears that were rolling the moment she started to bring up that horrible bit of her past… I couldn't help but pity her.

She was surprised when I carefully pulled her in a hug, but I think I was the most surprised as I had gone for that route.

A monster. I was going to help someone that was already so broken and so dependent on this dream.

I was afraid I was tying myself to a doomed path, but I knew that whatever odds I had to face, I wasn't going to let go of someone that needed help.

There was still a chance. There has to.

Sienna looked positively uneasy at the tale, and she offered a sympathetic look at the young girl as I ultimately gave her a positive answer to her proposal.

But while she saw this chance as a simple apprenticeship, I… saw it as a way to give her a better future.

**Sometimes even monsters don't deserve this much pain. Especially when those were still children.**

* * *

**AN**

**The more I think about it, the more I see Cinder fitting well as the dark, rule63 version of Shirou Emiya. Their ideals stem from similar connotations and both were following a similar pattern.**

**Cinder became Cinder, and Shirou became Counter-Guardian EMIYA (for a time, that is.).**

_**Also similar power, one with glass-manipulation and the other using Tracing.**_

**Still, the arc is far from over and two particular individuals had kept quiet during the final interaction. I wonder why.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Blaze1992****: Possibly, yes.**

**Fuyuki365****: **  
**1) I can see Salem finding it likable and wanting to obtain such a powerful (and entertaining) move. Sienna would probably be surprised, but annoyed. Kali would just allow Ghira to beat up the 'competition'. And finally… I think Old!Ruby would just take a picture of the scene. For science, of course;**  
**2) I search them around. I aim to the theme of the chapters and get the ones I feel that match well with the content of the chapter;**  
**3) Sally is better mom, Mami Salami is perhaps at the same degree of the two other examples. Sally might have a thing for Rom-Coms and Slice of Life; Anime is difficult to 'spawn' without artists, animators, and lots of money. It's a maybe at best.**

**Tom Ato****: Jaune? I mean, he is the only one with a medic-centered Semblance that works wonders. Ozzie is oldie, so he wouldn't be able to get current music, Sally would need to play the game just to confirm if it's good or not (after all, game musics are best when they are playing mid-gameplay.).**


	32. Never too Easy (2)

**DISCLAIMER**

**The following is a fan-based**

**FICTION**

**RWBY are all owned by Rooster Teeth and by Monyreak 'Monty' Oum (R.I.P.)**

**Please support the official release.**

* * *

"_Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer."_** – Louise Gluck**

_**Chapter 32: Never too Easy (2)**_

* * *

I was incredibly nervous when we first reached home. My worry was stoked by Ozpin's continuous comments over his distrust for any Cinder and the fact that she could easily be Salem's minion even at this point.

The mere idea that I was inviting our enemy right to the heart of our own 'base' was more than enough to renew worry over the chances of being attacked so suddenly. This very notion was still as troublesome as unrealistic, and it was Sally that brought up two details that I had taken notice about while leading the girl back to my house.

Her hands were both normal, with none having the parasitic addition of a Grimm meant to absorb magic. While the singular element could've been given after years of loyalty and training, I could also tell that the very circumstance was odd and… too sudden.

While the Queen of Grimm had shown interest in me, I knew that she wouldn't have sent someone that she couldn't trust just yet. Cinder's village was attacked a little less than a year ago, and the timespan just wouldn't favor someone like Salem in the long run.

It didn't help the corrupted monarch that her current court lacked people to send in missions, and wasting a new recruit like this wouldn't help her chances of building up a competent staff of advisors.

Despite these convincing points, I still held a degree of cautiousness over Cinder as she started to look around the living room, studying how she reacted to the size of the house and her newest setting.

Golden eyes glimmered intensely as the young teen spent a while getting accustomed to the house, and I kept on staring at the situation with morbid curiosity. Sienna took a seat beside mine as we settled by the table, alternating a curious look over Cinder's activity and a questioning one directed at me.

"What did Cinder do in the future?" The comment was offered in the most quiet tone available to the Tiger Faunus. It was a blunt query that snapped me out of my reverie, with my now panicking eyes glancing over the girl to see if she had heard of the young woman's comment, easing down just as I picked up that she didn't.

Finally, I stared at Sienna with a tense gaze. "Similar to Adam. She is just… a tiny bit worse."

"And how much is 'a tiny bit worse' to you, John?"

I sighed. "She is responsible for the Fall of Beacon and Vale. She was… the mastermind behind the catalyst for the end of peace."

"And… you think that she is redeemable?" The tanned woman inquired, a hint of surprise and uneasiness now reaching my ears. "I mean, I can see how Adam will have a better upbringing and a better life, but didn't she already lose what she considered her closest family."

_She did._

_**And that can't be replaced. We're playing with literal fire here, John.**_

**[As if this ever stopped him from trying. Give him a chance, I know you can see him succeed this time too.]**

_**Maybe, but is it worth the risk? Will you put your children's lives in peril if this turns out to be a failed attempt to save another one?**_

_...Yes. As much as it worries me to allow this situation to unfold, I know that this is the right thing to do._

_**The Queen doesn't care if you can work with this or not.**_

_And that's wrong for you to assume. Salem needs a stable connection to the Kingdoms if she wants to know how things are faring and the only one I could think of right now is…_

Oh God, I forgot to check on Mistral for a long time now. I wasn't sure when Headmaster Lionheart had planned his betrayal, but surely that couldn't have spanned for that long. The damage would've been more extensive than it had been in Canon… and yet I couldn't help but be worried that it was just Lionheart being an incompetent in handling the extermination of Haven's own Huntsmen.

"I believe it's possible," I finally admitted, smiling at Sienna. "I want to believe in my chances that this will go well for us all."

The Tiger Faunus smiled and nodded, looking as supportive as possible of this decision. It was going to be tough but… I wanted to try. I just couldn't give up without trying.

"Sir."

I blinked, turning my attention back to Cinder. "Yes?"

"I know this is sudden but… may I ask where I will be sleeping?"

I nodded, standing up. "Sure. If you want I can give you a proper tour of the house too," I offered. "But I can already tell you that you will sleep in my children's room."

She blinked in surprise, a degree of confusion and nervousness flashing briefly before she gave a slow nod to me. "But is this… alright? I mean, I don't wish to intrude."

"Nonsense, young lady," I muttered calmly. "If I decided to have you as my apprentice, I wouldn't certainly have you live in a situation less comfortable than anyone else in the family. I will have to call a few people to get a new bed there but… it's doable."

Cinder paused for a single moment at that last detail, her eyes narrowing on me out of confusion about this sudden decision.

"Isn't this… too much? I- I do appreciate the offer, but wouldn't that be-"

"Too much?" I interrupted for her, and she nodded to confirm that was what she was trying to say and I shrugged. "It's not. It wouldn't impact on our finances, and I can already say without hesitation that the kids will be happy to have a new roommate."

"But what if-"

Before the girl had any chance of rebuffing this offer, her intervention was interrupted by the loud noise offered by the entrance door suddenly opening and a giggling missile bolting inside and towards me.

Nora paused just before reaching for a hug, her blue eyes widening in surprise as she noticed the slightly older girl I was talking to. Her jaws dropped, and she started to vibrate in preparation for a pounce.

Of course, Cinder wasn't accustomed to this and merely frowned at the sudden development. Soon, the younger child went for the tackle much to the young teen's surprise, but Cinder quickly caught the tight hug before it had the chance of making them both trip down to the ground.

"Hi, I'm Nora!" The hyperactive girl introduced herself. "Who are you?"

While my 'apprentice' was quick-witted about physical interactions, she didn't seem to have the same prowess for dialogue much to my growing amusement. Instead of letting the silence continue and for poor Cinder to suffer through this little encounter, I decided to move in and speak for her.

"Nora dear, you should probably allow her some space," I started to say, and my adopted daughter swiftly ended the hug, only to keep close to the fellow girl. "This here is Cinder, she will be living with us from now on and-"

"Is she going to be my big sister?"

I opened my mouth to try and defuse the little misunderstanding, but before I could Nora squealed and gave another hug to the confused teen.

"Oh, we're going to be besties! Besties Sisters!"

After this comment, Nora proceeded to drag her new 'sister' off to their room, giggling all the way through and ignoring Cinder's reluctance to leave the living room so suddenly.

I continued to look at the duo as they started to leave until they turned the corner away from my sight, and I was left to deal with the rest of the small group at the door.

"Did you really adopt her?"

I blinked at Ren, the boy giving me a curious but mostly neutral look. It was a change in life, but not one that severely made things much different for us all.

"Not truly, no," I admitted with a calm voice. "I will probably sign some paperwork to confirm my guardianship over her, but I don't think she wants to be adopted, so she will just be a ward for now."

"But then… why is she here?"

Noticing a pair of cat ears peeking from over Ren's shoulder, I smiled and nodded at Blake.

"She asked to become my apprentice regarding what happened in Atlas," I replied with a nod, turning to her side as I saw a certain redhead looking slightly uneasy at this. "And no, it's not about writing, so you're not going to lose these lessons, Ilia."

The Chameleon Faunus blushed a little bit at the kind assurance, and she nodded swiftly at it.

"I- I suppose it's alright."

My smile widened and she huffed at the attention she was receiving.

"So, I guess you three are already done with your homework."

The trio nodded and I was glad that they got their priorities set already. It was rare for children to get this done at this age, but then again… Ren, Blake and Ilia. They weren't certainly the standard energetic kids that skipped duties for only entertainment.

It wasn't unusual for the three to reunite here for some planning over stories to write or draw. Ilia was the writer, Blake would help about any drawing by adding quite the unique style to the paper, and Ren would serve as a proof-reader for anything produced there.

While the latter task wasn't 100% perfect, I swiftly noticed how the boy had taken interest in reading 'tougher' books to get more accustomed to grammar. It was absurd but I could see his quiet but tenacious self going that far for friendship's sake.

I was still there to keep an eye out about him going overboard, but the curious project only helped them fix some of the flaws they had back with their homework and school's tests.

Adam would also join from time to time but, as far as I could see, the boy was probably busy at home by either helping his mother with house chores or assisting Watts through some simple tasks at his laboratory.

I had the chance of visiting it and it was… improving every day. Part of the funds for the research that was provided by the Chieftain was employed to expand the workplace, but it was going to take a little more than just a couple of months to fix this.

Still, it was still impressive how that family was coming together so well. It was incredibly odd how Arthur had taken the role of father figure for Adam, and that made me wonder how the Bull Faunus was going to handle this new childhood between moderation and a closer understanding of intellectualism.

But between wondering and contemplation, I still found space to handle the present just fine as the group settled by the living room while I went back to the kitchen.

"Did you hear that Kali is considering having another child?"

I almost tripped at hearing that, my eyes turning to Sienna with a confused look and she returned it with one of hers.

"What? Didn't she try again at motherhood in the 'original timeline'?"

"No," I admitted with a surprised tone. "Still, it's not that strange for her to consider that."

"How so?" The Tiger Faunus inquired.

"Well, at this point Menagerie's economy wasn't improving this quickly, and families generally expand when it's economically possible," I explained quietly. "So I could see Ghira relent on this decision and accept the possibility of bringing a new son or daughter to their group."

"I can see that. But then, isn't this change still a… divergence from what you know?"

"I made numerous changes already, I think some indirect ones are to be expected."

"But what if this… ends up with unpleasant changes?" Sienna pressed on. "What if this results in Salem growing stronger?"

I nodded at her, glad that she was looking that far. "We will be prepared. Always."

"You're generally not this confident. Don't turn arrogant on me about it or else-"

"You will put me through hell training, I know," I interrupted with a groan. "But, I plan to make preparations for anything Salem can throw at us directly. I've already discussed with Arthur about creating some anti-Grimm equipment for the militia and maybe handle the sea Grimm issue first before focusing on the mainland situation."

"That sounds ambitious. We're talking of problems that have been there since Menagerie came to be."

"And a gun aimed at us as far as I'm concerned," I added with a grim look. "Preparation for an eventual attack is the priority, then we act to remove the possibility from ever happening."

"And you've a solution to it?"

I nodded. "Something I've once read while studying a city back home. The system was used to handle any increase of the sea level in its lagoon area, but I think it can be modified and used in this instance here too," I explained calmly. "It will take funds, time, and some huntsmen to hold the line while we do this as I know Salem will move up at the first hint of her leverage being snapped out of her clutches. Still, Arthur believes it's possible."

"And you think it is?"

…

"Yes."

_**And it better damn work or else life will turn problematic because of the increase of Grimm activity.**_

* * *

**~Cinder's POV~**

The room wasn't as big as she had expected it to be. But then again, she didn't have a reason to truly whine about living arrangements after living in the worst of situations.

Cinder Fall wasn't someone that generally liked to share a place where to sleep. It wasn't that she disliked the company, but that she didn't trust anyone she hadn't the chance of knowing beforehand.

This very element was quite easy to relate to her hatred for betrayals, for those infuriating fools that condemned her to this life of vagrancy and aimlessness.

But while this should've easily become a reason to ask for another place where to rest during nighttime, this resolve wavered the moment Nora decided to 'get to know her big sister'.

The rambunctious girl was genuinely excited by the misunderstanding, and Cinder was unsure how to handle this predicament without making herself look impolite or perpetrate the issue for far too long for her sanity to handle.

The situation itself wasn't truly problematic. In fact, she wasn't having much of a hassle with the hyperactive child pestering her with simple questions that she didn't have trouble answering to.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Fiery red."

_Hmm, the mattress is quite soft._

Cinder didn't project her inner thoughts as she quietly studied the room that was going to be hers. If her bed was going to be as soft as Nora's, then there was no reason to worry much about waking up sore and still tired.

An improvement, but her mind quickly reminded her of how cramped things were going to be by sharing a room with two other individuals.

"Oh, and what about flowers?"

"I don't have a preference."

She did, but just didn't want to remember the times she would spend taking a few from her former home's garden.

_It's been a while. I wonder if it was burned during that assault or if it was raided by thieves._

"Oh? Mine are pink flowers. I don't think I ever asked about their names, but I just like how they look."

Pink is soft to the eye, and a very calm color to look at.

_I guess she likes calm and quiet herself from time to time._

Still, the questionnaire continued for a little while with other silly queries that were quickly dealt with. Cinder was curt, reserved, and she was blessed with a positively receptive Nora as she didn't press on the weak replies she was handing out.

Eventually the large number of topics the orangette could've exploited came to a solid conclusion after twenty minutes of solid questioning.

Cinder expected for the conversation to branch out into bigger and sensible subjects, and yet the young Valkyrie kept on struggling to find some more safe topics to bring up. It was an amusing sight for a while, and yet the scene grew stale and boring once the stubbornness over the matter turned out to be awfully dumb.

Sure, Nora was younger than her and she really was trying to make a good impression, but to go this far just sounded so… excessive.

It reminded her of-

"**Too much?" John interrupted for her with a kind smile, and she nodded to confirm that was what she was trying to say. "It's not. It wouldn't impact on our finances, and I can already say without hesitation that the kids will be happy to have a new roommate."**

_Like a father like daughter, I suppose._

She could see some similarity between the two in terms of personality. Nora was way more bubbly compared to the level headedness displayed by her adoptive parent, and yet the kind core was something that matched incredibly well with one another.

_Maybe I shouldn't be too hard on her._

The mere fact that the attempt to be polite was akin to the kindness displayed over her comfortable stay at Menagerie did soothe the unnerving sensation of being around so childish.

Plus, she could now see an opportunity to shift the discussion elsewhere and onto a topic she was more than interested to converse about.

"Can we talk about… Mr. Bukharin?"

"Daddy?"

The term sounded affectionate. Incredibly so. The degree of attachment has to be incredibly high to get this kind of voice while addressing her adoptive parent.

"Yes… Can you tell me how did you and-"

"How did Renny and I find him? How did he take us in?"

Yes and yes.

Cinder nodded and Nora's smile _changed_. It was no longer the overly-giddy one that had been there ever since they had been in that room.

No, it turned in one of fondness. The affection that she heard in that word was now displayed in her features and she found it… compelling.

"Well, Renny and I have been alone for a few days ever since he lost his parents because of a Grimm attack and… we ended up finding the abandoned village where Daddy was staying at," Nora started to narrate. "He was busy trying to place some boxes inside his old truck when we found him. Once he was done with that we entered behind the truck and tried to hide there."

_And?_

"Then he found us and we thought he was going to hurt us at first but… but he actually made us breakfast!"

"That's… interesting."

"Mhmh! He was super-nice from the very start and then bandits attacked," Nora said with an overly-serious tone, making it clear that part of her story was going to be severely expanded to make it 'cool' to listen to. But Cinder didn't need 'cool', she needed the truth. "There was this lady that ended up hurting daddy a lot, now she is nicer but still trying to steal daddy from mommy Sienna, and then we ended up here."

That was quite the short story. But then again, a few details happened to stand out from the rest considering the importance Nora gave them to bring those up.

John was attacked by bandits, a lady, possibly the bandits' leader, hunted him down a little after but now they are in good terms, and that the Tiger Faunus that was seen walking beside her new teacher was his romantic interest from the way they were close and how Nora already addressed her as her mother.

Sienna Khan was the leading diplomat during the visit to Atlas, and she seemed rather confident in her abilities and strength. Maybe she could become a source of wisdom and power just as John was going to be to her for the next few years.

Who knows what will happen next? The world changes and every turn needs to be addressed with calm and attention.

Emotions were powerful sources of might, but to exaggerate would just mess her hopes of finding growth and improvement to face Remnant's cruelty on her own.

"So your father is capable of fighting on his own?"

"I think?" Nora replied with some uncertainty. "I mean, he can fight and he is super-cool about it, but I think mommy is stronger than him right now."

So it was correct to assume that John was best at dealing with dialogue and political situations rather than physical confrontations, while the opposite was to be considered for the tanned woman.

It was kind of poetic how the two matched each other so well.

_Yet there has to be something I'm missing. About why he grew to become an individual worthy of rumors and conversations, and how people now wish to have a chance to meet him._

He was the only human living in Menagerie. The exception that eventually brought in Arthur Watts from Atlas to become a scientist on the island.

Cinder didn't know for sure if the researcher was given an important role or if the man had preferred for another kind of job. It just wasn't her concern at the moment, and thus her mind returned to John.

Charismatic, kind, generally well-liked and a family man. He was the pure representation of a good man before the eyes of many, and some saw him as a staunch emissary of reform whenever he went.

And with good reasons.

The SDC, despite having taken a road for reactionary laws in the last few years, had reverted its course after the trial to Jacques Schnee. Many rich families had tried to attempt to tie themselves to the most influential family in Remnant at the news that Willow Schnee had divorced from her former husband, but none was expecting an absolute decline from both Nicholas Schnee and his daughter.

The family didn't need more members and there were plenty of heirs to depend on if anything happened to the two.

Winter was the first in line, and her younger siblings were going to either be given subsidiaries to the SDC to control at their own leisure or… do whatever they wished for their lives.

It was a surprising decision, but one that unexpectedly drew some support from both Atlas and Mantle.

John was the main catalyst behind this development, and thus many regarded him as a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy to handle whenever the circumstances were.

_I think Mistral was making plans to invite him soon but… there is also the fact that many are opposed to this decision._

Incorruptible and devoid of blackmail, John was a predator without weakness before the eyes of anyone wanting to oppose his ideals.

A political animal, and that was more than enough to scare the peak of civilization to reconsider some minor changes to anything noted as corrupt.

Reputation and fear born from a good-standing figure. It was odd to believe it but… John was killing some paranoid bureaucrats' shady businesses with mere kindness.

And that was something that not only left Cinder stomped after trying to grow accustomed to the need to be the toughest possible before the adversities, but also kind of awed at the degree a single trial can change the world as a whole.

Fear was an indirect effect, but it was still there just like a reminder to any scum of what can or can't happen if things aren't completely safe for them to handle.

And the only safe thing they can manage are legal businesses.

Which is why, despite the lacking capacity to dominate through physical fights, John was someone Cinder was trying to learn from.

What kind of secrets was he holding? What made him this much troublesome to handle and incredibly persistent to defeat through dialogue?

_These few years are going to be quite interesting._

But just as Cinder lost herself in these thoughts, Nora took notice of this and started to smile teasingly as her mind brought her a mischievous idea.

"By the way, Cinder, what do you think of Daddy?"

Amber eyes retained focus as the teen glanced at the grinning girl with a confused look.

"He is an impressive conversationalist, and I hope to learn a lot from him."

Nora's smile grew smuggler despite the neutral response. "I think you like him."

A frown adorned Cinder's face.

Of course she liked him as an outstanding figure. A role model to follow and-

_Oh no, she is- Oh!_

Realization struck her worse than a train, and she squirmed a little as she thought about it.

John wasn't ugly, and while she had seen men more handsome of him… she could see a degree of charm in his appearance. And by thinking so, her cheeks flared a soft pink.

The change was more than enough to cause a giggle to leave Nora's lips. "I knew it. Cindy likes Daddy."

The pink turned red almost instantly, and Cinder's jaws dropped low at that kind of accusation.

Her first instinct was to jump at the girl and get her to quieten up. If such scandalous words managed to reach her newest teacher-

The ramifications were as tremendous as horrifying.

Pressing her palm over Nora's giggles did little to suppress those and, while she had some dominance early on with the ensuing struggle, the younger girl quickly cracked her control by reaching for her hips and tickling her without any mercy.

The laughter ended up mixing with the giggles and soon what had started as a mere misunderstanding from both sides now became a clear scene worthy of amusement from any onlookers.

_**If only Cinder knew that these simply calm days were going to be her life from that day onward…**_

* * *

**AN**

**Quick notice: No, I'm not pairing little Cinder to John. What you just saw was some puberty-induced thoughts. Some girls have it early (my sister was quite early about it) and some have it later.**

**Also, still pondering how to take the fact my sister decided to dye her hair blonde (she was a brunette). I like it, but it will take some time for me to get accustomed to her 'Super Saiyan' state. Yes, I'm a big brother, and I will lightly-tease whenever I can without being too harsh about it~.**

**REVIEW Q&A!**

**Reishin Amara****: Sometimes, the road to hell is paved by good intentions.**

**Blaze1992****: Grimm are kind of Salem's domain… and the God of Darkness. John's Magic isn't at that level.**

**Guest (Chapter 31)****: I'm planning to do some Omakes soon so… who knows.**

**CZT****: I want those monopoly papers! xD**


End file.
